Slayer: Virtual BtVS Spinoff E3: Follow the Leader
by Gary Boshears
Summary: AU - New series starring Faith! Episode Three: Follow the Leader - Faith faces two very different challenges when a new watcher arrives and Harmony returns to Sunnydale with a diabolical plan. COMPLETE! (6 of 6 parts online) Please REVIEW!
1. Overture

SLAYER EPISODE THREE: FOLLOW THE LEADER 

**STARRING:**

**Eliza Dushku as Faith**

**James Marsters as Spike**

**Iyari** Limon as Kennedy****

**Shane West as Robert**

**And**

**Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn**

**GUEST STARRING:**

**Mercedes McNab as Harmony**

**Alexander Siddig as ****Preston**** Mathers**

**Nicholas Brendon as Xander**

**And**

**Gareth Barnes**

**CREATED BY:**

**Gary Boshears**

**Based on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' & 'Angel' created by Joss Whedon**

**WRITTEN BY:**

**Gary Boshears**

This is the third part in a multi-episode, virtual spin-off to Buffy the Vampire Slayer with 22 total episodes planned.  Any other fan-fic authors interested in helping to write the series, please send an e-mail to: slayer@easdarkthunder.com as people are needed to both write some episodes and help designing and outlining the story as a whole.

Be sure to read Episode One: Adjustments & Episode Two: Microevil also available on this site!

Reviews of all stories welcome and encouraged!

I'll be releasing this episode act by act instead of as a whole.  Seems like it gets a better response if I update it as I'm going rather than releasing the entire thing at once.

OVERTURE 

            Faith was alone.  Alone in the graveyard as she patrolled, alone with her thoughts.  It had been more than a week since they had put Tyler's spider robots out of commission and since then, nothing aside from the normal doses of evil beings had found their way to Sunnydale.  That however didn't stop her from patrolling every night this week.  Normally Kennedy or Dawn would accompany her on these outings but recently she had told the girls to stay home.

            Spike's sudden decision to back out of helping their fight had left the Slayer shaken.  Faith knew it shouldn't bother her, she didn't need Spike, didn't really care about him but something about it still bothered her.  It made her realize, perhaps for the first time, that she wasn't doing as good of a job as Buffy did here.  She couldn't help comparing herself to the other Slayer.  Faith conceded that was probably why she didn't want Dawn or Kennedy along with her, she was afraid that the group might further breakup.  Better to face the evils on her own than risk any further division.

            Nights like this reminded Faith that, in theory, the battle was a simple one.  Good vs. evil.  It was just her against whatever the forces of evil chose to throw at her this night and in the end, one of them would die.  Nights like this allowed her to delude herself into believing this battle she fought was simpler than it really was.  Tonight, she didn't have to worry about friends or allies, what they thought of her or their safety, only the fight.  When she glanced to the top of a hill in the cemetery, she knew the fight was at hand.

            Standing near a mausoleum were three figured who Faith could tell were vampires even from this far away.  She slowly walked up the hill, all three of their heads turning to face her when she neared them.  "Now sometimes you all just make this job too easy," it was rare for her to find groups of vampires such as these lurking about during her patrols, making it far easier than tracking them down individually.

            "Slayer," one of the vampires hissed as the three of them formed a semi-circle around her, one in front and one on to each side.  "You should not have come her tonight."  The vampire lowered his voice in an attempt to make it sound menacing.

            Faith was not phased.  "Let me guess, you're going to kill me?"  She'd hear that line many times before with many other vampires looking to make a name for themselves by killing the Slayer.  All of the vampires growled an affirmative response.  Faith smiled.  "Give it your best shot."  The vampire in front of her charged.  Faith punched his nose with an open hand, sending him falling into the ground.

            The fight was on.  The vampires at her sides simultaneously charged.  With the one on her right approaching faster than the other, Faith turned her attention to it first.  She dropped to the ground, sweeping the vampire's feet from underneath him.  The last charging vampire grabbed her by the shoulders, his head moving to feed off her neck.  Faith threw her head back, striking the vampire's face.  She immediately followed by swinging her elbow around, striking it in the chin.

            Faith sprung back to her feet, hitting the vampire behind her twice in the face and once in the stomach.  With it stunned, she reached into the back pocket of her tight black jeans, grabbing a stake from it.  She ran forward, knocking the vampire's guard away from its chest with her free hand and driving the stake into its heart.  She barely had time to watch it turning to dust before the other two vampires were back on their feet, quickly approaching from behind her.

            She kicked backwards, striking one in the chest, causing it to fall back and leaving only one closing to attack.  The vampire swung madly, Faith ducking and sliding out of the way of her enemy's attacks.  As the vampire swung, she grabbed one of its arms, getting a firm hold on it before twisting and listening to the bones snap.  She immediately followed through by driving her hand into its nose and the stake into its heart.

            As the cloud of dust in front of her vanished, Faith was grabbed from behind.  The vampire held her tightly by the chest, preventing her escape but Faith was determined that she would be the one to walk away from this fight.  The Slayer stepped on his foot, kicked his knee and rammed her elbow into his ribs.  With his hold broken, she spun around, landing a fierce right cross on his jaw.

            With adrenaline surging through her veins, Faith pressed her attack against the now weakened vampire.  She leapt into a spinning kick, striking him in the neck, followed by another similar move that knocked him to the ground.  With a blinding speed, she ran at the vampire, stomping her foot in his stomach while he was still down.  This was followed by striking his face repeatedly with her fists.  Blood ran from his lips as all energy and ability to fight vanished from his body following the barrage of blows from the Slayer.

            With no challenge left from the vampire, Faith finally drove the stake into its heart almost effortlessly.  Faith relaxed, taking several deep breaths as she placed the stake back in her pocket.  "Score three for the good guys," she knew no one was listening because she knew she was still alone.  It had been simple though a fight of good vs. evil and good had won this night.  Later, there would be another fight and that was all there was to it.

            "Sloppy!"  Faith instantly turned in the direction of it when she heard a voice with a slightly English accent coming from behind her.  Ascending the slight hill she stood upon was a clean cut man with neatly combed brown hair wearing a dark blue suit and red tie.  Faith gave him a quizzical look, wondering what manner of evil would see fit to insult her before trying to make the kill.  He stopped walking less than three feet in front of Faith.  "You lack form, style, precision and discipline.  We'll need to work on that," he added with a slight grin.

            Faith, taken aback by his comments, could think of only one reply she saw suitable.  "Who are you and please tell me a stake through your heart is the fastest way to get rid of you." 

            "Hmm … an irrepressible temper and a quick tongue, not necessarily good qualities for a Slayer," the man continued his train of insults against her, leaving Faith to wish he would just skip to attacking so she could deal with him.  "I suppose we'll have to work on that as well."

            Now she was really becoming annoyed.  "Look, I'm a little short on time, have to be at work early in the morning so could you just skip the game and vamp out already so I could kill you?"

            He chuckled, something that aggravated Faith even further.  "I assure you Faith, I am no vampire, therefore, I do not believe you will want to kill me."

            "You sure about that?"  Regardless of what type of demon he was, Faith was entirely behind the idea of killing whoever this new menace was.

            He gave her a knowing look in the eyes.  "I might have been misinformed, but I thought you no longer enjoyed killing humans."

            That struck a nerve with the Slayer.  Faith took a challenging step forward, standing face to face with the annoying man who did not waver or back down from the Slayer.  "Look, I don't know who you are but I do know that I don't like you, so why don't you get the hell away from me before I get back into some bad, old habits and smash your face in."

            "I'm afraid Faith that it is rather difficult for me to get the hell away from you."  The mocking tone he had at the beginning of their conversation had disappeared, he now sounded completely serious like he was no longer joking.

            "Oh not so hard," Faith spoke quickly, she was about ready to pop.  "Just put your legs in gear and scurry on out of here," Faith made little motions with two of her fingers, illustrating her point.

            "You don't understand Faith?"

            "I don't understand what?"

            "I am Preston Mathers, your new Watcher."

*******

            Spike was seriously considering writing a letter to the television networks.  Although he didn't have the greatest selection of stations in the crypt, he still thought he should be able to find something worth watching during primetime.  As it stood, all he could find was a typically boring sitcom, a drama that was completely implausible and news talking about the latest virus that was spreading across continents, news that didn't have as much appeal to him as it used to.

            As the vampire aimlessly searched through channels, there was a loud pounding at the door to the crypt.  In the past week, since he had dusted the Ellis brothers, this was something he had grown accustomed to.  As he slowly rose from the chair, he grasped a stake on the end table and walked towards the door.  Readying the weapon in his hand, he flung the door open, revealing a large, muscular, dark skinned vampire standing on the other side.

            "Die Spike!"  He flexed his massive muscles and his voice rang through the crypt.  Spike wasted no time.  He nonchalantly rammed the stake through the vampires heart, a pile of dust immediately covered the area in front of the door which Spike immediately closed.  He walked back to his chair, placing the stake back on the table and picking up the remote as he sat back down.

            "Eighth bloody one this week!"  Spike began flipping through channels.  It was the eighth attempt on his life since he had dispatched the Ellis brothers and since he had told Faith he was done helping her.  Apparently whoever wanted the Slayer dead hadn't gotten that message yet.  He was now more convinced than ever that something was coming.  Something that wanted the Slayer and anyone else that might oppose them out of the way, leading Spike to wonder how he had gotten to the top of that list.

            Another knocking on the door.  This was the first time they had gotten brazen enough to make two attempts on his life in so short a time.  He grabbed the stake by the pointed in, grinned and prepared to throw it over his back at the door.  "Come in," Spike said with great anticipation.

            The door flew open and Spike waited for his command to die before throwing the stake.  Instead of something telling him to die however, he heard an all too familiar voice, one he had hoped to never hear again.  "Spikey!"  The stake fell out of his hand as Harmony took a step inside the crypt.

            Spike's eyes grew wide, mouth hanging open, wishing it was someone sent to kill him rather than this.  "Oh god no," this was the last thing he needed at the moment.

            "I'm back!"

            "Please no."


	2. Act One

ACT ONE 

            "Harm," Spike overcame his initial shock, rose out of his chair and slowly walked towards the door where the blonde vampire stood.  One thing Spike could never deny about Harmony, she was nothing if not attractive.  She looked prettier now, wearing a white designer blouse and tight black pants, than the last time he had seen her.  He also noted she carried two large, black suitcases, one in each hand.  When he got within a few feet of her, he began to slowly circle, admiring her figure.  "Not that it isn't a pleasure to see you again but you might have forgotten that we didn't exactly part on pleasant terms."

            Harmony sat her luggage down on the stone floor and perkily turned to face Spike who was standing behind her, eyes looking slightly lower than her head.  "Of course I remember that Spikey," she patted his face condescendingly with one hand.  "I just figured that, after a couple of years, you've had enough time to work through all of your Buffy issues."  She threw her arms around the vampire who gave a stunned expression in response.  "So now I'm back."

            Issues, Spike considered that that was a pretty good way to describe his feelings for the Slayer.  He wished he could say he had worked through them though.  As much as he tried to be angry with her, he knew what his feelings were inside.  After a few moments of awkward silence, Harmony pulled away from him slightly.  "Just for the record, you have worked through all of your Buffy issues haven't you?"

            There wasn't really a good way to respond to that question.  "Harm," Spike gently moved her arms away from him, deciding instead to slightly sidestep the issue.  "What are you doing back in Sunnydale?  Last I heard you had bolted for somewhere down in Mexico."  He turned around and began walking back to his chair, knowing Harmony would follow him like a lost puppy which is exactly what she did.

            "Yeah, Mexico was a good break for me, got to see the sights, taste the food.  By the way, if you've never been down there, think twice before eating someone who just ate a lot of peppers, way too spicy for my tastes."  Harmony hovered over Spike as he sat down in his chair and resumed channel surfing.  "But I decided I had to come back and see my Spikey!"  She pinched his cheek causing him to rethink not staking her as soon as she showed up.

            Spike cocked his head in Harmony's direction, raising his eyebrows, suspicious that she hadn't entirely revealed her true motives in returning to Sunnydale.  "Harm, maybe you didn't get the memo but I'm not really much for the whole evil bit anymore.  Got the soul things happening now."

            Harmony was shocked but her expression also seemed compassionate.  "Oh Spikey," she softly brushed her hand against his face.  "That's so terrible, someone cursing you with a soul like that," even though he got it on his own, Spike admitted that in many ways it was a curse.  "Poor Spike, first the chip and now a soul."  She sat on her knees, compassionately nuzzling against Spike's neck.  "Well don't worry; I'll take good care of you."

            Spike was starting to remember why he didn't like her; sometimes she just didn't get it.  Disregarding her sympathy, Spike shot out of his chair and walked to the television set, manually changing the channel and turning the volume up as an excuse to get away from her.  "Yeah well, soul Spike equals not evil Spike and not interested in evil Spike, so maybe you should find someone else to nuzzle up to.  Plenty of picking in a town like this for a girl like you."  That was Spike's way of calling Harmony cheap.

            "Well actually," Harmony got back on her feet, a pleading look now appearing on her face.  "There's another reason I came back to Sunnydale, besides seeing you of course."

            "Oh really?"  Spike turned around and looked at her again, playing dumb and thankful that she was finally getting to the point.

            Harmony could barely contain her perky excitement.  "I'm finally going to exact my revenge on Buffy!"  Spike gave her a disappointed expression.  He was surprised there was actually a vampire around who didn't know Buffy had left Sunnydale and was now traveling the world, looking to extinguish their kind once and for all.  "What?"  Harmony felt the pressure of Spike's gaze.  "My plan is fool proof this time!"

            "Buffy's gone love," Spike delivered the blow.  "Yep, skipped town a few months ago with her little witch friend," Spike wandered back to his chair, again plopping down in it.  Harmony sat down on the arm of it, pouting.

            "But, but, how am I supposed to exact my revenge if she's not here?  Her being here is an integral part to me exacting my revenge!"  Harmony was left flustered by the revelation from Spike.  "And this time my plan is really, really good!"

            "Sorry babe," Spike acted as casual and uncaring as possible, hoping Harmony would get the hint and leave.  "Guess you're going to have to track her down wherever she is and do your whole revenge thing somewhere else."

            "Wait, wait, wait!"  Harmony jumped off the arm of the chair, waving her own arms madly.  "You trying to tell me that Sunnydale is Slayerless?  But how am I supposed to prove my new found power if there isn't a Slayer for me to kill?"

            Spike shook his head, his level of amusement growing as more of Harmony's insane and ultimately doomed to fail plan was revealed.  "I didn't say it was Slayerless dear."  He didn't see any harm in tipping her off to the fact that Faith was in town, knowing Harmony wouldn't be a match for the Slayer, no matter what type of evil scheme she had concocted this time.

            "You mean the other one?"  Harmony leaned down, not quite whispering in Spike's ear.  "The psycho Slayer?  She's in Sunnydale?"  She bounced back up to a fully standing position, excitedly clapping her hands together.

            Spike continued scrolling through channels on the television with his remote control, paying little attention the long-haired blonde.  "Yeah, Faith, this is her town now and I'd be careful if I were you," he decided since treating Harmony like an idiot wasn't getting rid of her, perhaps scaring her would.  "She doesn't quite have the patience Buffy did if you know what I mean."

            "This is so great!"  Harmony was lightly bouncing up and down, barely able to contain her excitement.  "I'll enact my evil plan and then I'll kill Faith to prove that I'm the new supreme evil!"  She gave Spike a quick kiss on the cheek, the other vampire fighting the urge to recoil in response.  "Thanks for the idea Spikey!"

            "Harm," as much as he didn't like her, for an odd reason, he also didn't want to see the Slayer dusting her.  "As evil and fool proof as I'm sure your plan is," Spike turned his head away from the television and towards her.  "I'd be careful trying to take on a Slayer if I were you.  As I recall, your last few attempts didn't work out to well."  Didn't work out at all for that matter.

            "That's why it won't just be me fighting the Slayer silly," Harmony seemed all too confident in herself and her ability to defeat Faith, causing a peak in Spike's curiosity about her plan.

            "Planning to raise a little gang again are you?"  Spike tried to pretend that he was as uninterested in her activities as possible.  "Hope you aren't banking on your charming personality and remarkable public speaking skills to get the job done for you."

            "Of course not Spikey," Harmony didn't seem to catch the insult Spike had just thrown at her, being too wrapped up in what she saw as her genius plan.  "That's why I have my evil plan you see.  Once it's completed, everyone in Sunnydale, humans, demons, everything, will do what I tell them and I'll have an army to fight the Slayer with."

            Although he admitted it could just be Harmony's incessant rambling and over self indulgence, Spike was truly curious about whatever type of plan the blonde demon had devised that would make everyone follow her without question, especially if they had to listen to her at all.  "Oh really?"  Spike still pretended to lack a great deal of interest, deciding it would be his best option to get her to reveal more.  "That's some serious mojo you'd be messing with, trying to bring everyone under your control.  You sure you're up to try something like that?"  He had never pegged Harmony for the dark magic type.

            "Nope," Harmony was still slightly bouncing on her toes from excitement as she talked.  "Really easy," she added confidently.

            Spike gave a single laugh, popping out of his chair, turning his back to her and taking a few steps away.  "Mind control is never a real easy thing babe, no matter how much time or practice you've got at it.  Believe me, I've seen a lot more powerful than you fail to mind control one person, let alone a whole town full of them and demons."

            Harmony took several timid steps in his direction as Spike knew she would.  "But, but, I have something that is going to make it easy, something I found in Mexico.  Cost me a whole lot to get it too, they promised me it would work."

            Spike began loudly laughing, spinning around and looking Harmony square in the face.  She took his laughter seriously.  It hurt and the expression on her face, perky and optimistic only seconds before, visibly showed the pain she felt at having Spike insult her in such a way.  "Let me guess Harmony, found it in some little obscure Mexican village, in some little obscure shop with some little obscure man who promised it would do everything you want it to do?"

            "Yeah," her voice was shaky and trailed off.  Her eyes did not meet his, too hurt from his insulting laugh to look at him without causing herself additional pain.

            From her low hanging head and the expression he could barely see on her face, Spike knew he had struck a nerve.  "Harmony," he slowly walked towards her and placed his hands comfortingly on her shoulders, causing her to look up slightly, giving him the puppy dog look he always found hard to resist.  "Before you go waving around whatever it is they sold you, trying to control everybody and probably getting yourself staked in the process, why don't you let me see it?"  He had seen dozens of trinkets from various rip-off dealers over the years, this one probably wouldn't be any different.

            Hesitantly, she reached into her pants pocket, producing a circular, silver medallion with a blue stone in the center and various runes etched in black and gold around the sides, the whole thing dangling from a silver chain.  Spike reached his hand out, slipping two fingers into the chain, letting it dangle from them as he took the medallion away from Harmony.  While he hadn't seen anything like it before, it was quite clearly some sort of cheap knockoff, made to attract tourists or less than intelligent evil fiends as was this case.  "This is it?"  He asked with a raised brow.  For some reason he couldn't understand, he had expected more from even Harmony.

            "Yeah," her voice was still shaky and her head dropped even further.  She had come here planning on instantly gaining Spike's approval and now felt as though her world was collapsing around her since he did not see the brilliance of her evil plan and was not committed to finding holes in it.

            Spike handed the piece of junk back to her.  "Sorry babe," he took his hands off her shoulders and dropped back into his chair, taking the remote back into his hand, resuming his aimless channel surfing.  "But I think you got ripped off."

            "But, but," Harmony pouted.  "The man told me, he promised it would work!"

            "I promised I only thought about you during sex," Spike harshly rebutted, drawing another scorned look from his former fling.  "Point is sweetie, sometimes people lie."  Harmony quickly circled around to the front of his chair, blocking his view of the television, carelessly letting the medallion dangle in front of Spike's face.

            "But, he told me all I had to was have someone look right at it, tell them what I wanted them to do and they would do it.  He promised!"  Harmony stomped her foot in anger.  She had paid too much and done too much for the money to buy this thing just for it to turn out to be a worthless piece of junk.

            "Would you mind getting that thing out of my face dear?"  After learning her whole plan banked on a worthless Mexican tourist trap, Spike again lost all interest in listening to her talk about her plans to enslave the town and kill the Slayer.  "Kind of blocking my view and I don't want to miss another second of quirky fun with a typical suburban family."

            "Ooooo," Harmony again pouted while stomping her feet on the ground with annoyance at Spike's attitude.  "You can be so frustrating!"  Spike didn't respond, simply tried to look around her and the dangling piece of junk, believing her rant would end soon when she saw it wasn't bothering him.  "You make me so mad!"  She bent over and yelled in Spike's face.  "Sometimes I just want you to kill yourself."  The blue stone in the center of the amulet flashed brightly and then glowed blue.

            Without thinking of anything else, Spike stood up and bent down, reaching for the stake he had discarded on the floor near his chair earlier when Harmony first arrived.  She watched him with a clueless expression about her until he tried to drive the stake through his chest, at which point she grabbed his arms, preventing him from doing so.  "What are you doing?"

            His eyes glanced down at the stake and her arms preventing his from delivering the blow, then glanced back at her and back at the stake several times before he spoke.  "Trying to kill myself, you told me you wanted me to kill myself, so I'm trying to kill myself," Spike said with a shrug as though it wasn't a big deal and he didn't care about what he was doing.

            "Spikey, I, I didn't mean it," it clicked to Harmony that her medallion might not be as big of a piece of junk as Spike dismissed it to be.  "I was angry but I didn't mean it."

            "Well bollocks woman, don't say things you don't mean!"  Spike tossed the stake down on the ground, seemingly not bothered by the fact that he came close to driving in through his own heart.

            A large, mischievous grin appeared on Harmony's face when she realized that her item did in fact work.  "Spikey," she held the medallion up to his face, the other vampire slightly recoiling in response.  Spike was tired of looking at that things.

            "Harm, put that bloody thing away, you know it doesn't –"  Harmony didn't allow him to finish.

            "Kiss me," the stone again flashed and glowed.  With barely a second delay, Spike grabbed her, forcing his lips on her own in a passionate, long lasting kiss.  Harmony hadn't felt such a kiss from Spike since the early days of their relationship, before he had become distracted, or rather obsessed by the Slayer.  Harmony finally pulled herself away from Spike who instantly began to slowly kiss her neck.  "I think I'm going to enjoy this," she let herself enjoy the attention.

*******

            "Whoa, whoa, wait a second," Faith instantly protested.  She slightly backed away from Mathers, realizing he wasn't a threat, at least not one she could kill.  "I talked to Giles barely two weeks ago, he didn't say anything about any new watcher then."  It seemed as though something like that would have been worth Giles mentioning.

            Preston slowly stepped towards her, displaying that stuff English upper brow she had come to recognize from Giles and earlier incantations of Wesley as he looked her over.  "Mr. Giles is an incredibly busy man," Faith immediately picked up on the slight bit of hesitation that crept into his voice.  "Attempting to reconstitute a worldwide organization with virtually no survivors from an apocalyptic attack launched against it would not be an easy task for any man.  Besides," he stopped his approach a few feet short of standing toe to toe with the Slayer.  "Mr. Giles did not feel the need to inform you, preferring instead that I make the initial contact."

            "I don't need a watcher," Faith felt as though she was doing just find without some stuffy British guy looking over her shoulder and pointing out her flaws at every turn.  "I've lasted this long without one; I can manage on my own."

            "Every Slayer must have a watcher Faith, it is the order of things."

            "Yeah well screw the order of things," while she wouldn't normally be this resistance to the idea, this man simply bothered her.  Not to mention that his arrival coincided far too well with her dusting of the group of vampires.  At least she saw that as an excuse to be distrustful of him.  "Besides, not like B is going around the globe chained down to a watcher."

            He sighed deeply.  This was becoming more difficult than he had thought it would be.  "Buffy Summers is a special circumstance Faith.  She has lived longer and has more experience than almost any other Slayer in recorded history.  The council, Mr. Giles in particular," Faith again picked up on the subtle hesitation in his voice.  It was something she learned in prison, people often said more than they really were.  "Feels that Ms. Summers would better further the efforts of the council by operating on her own."

            "With Willow's help of course?"  Faith quickly shot back, hoping Mathers would make some critical mistake that would prove her distrust in him was warranted.

            "Although she is not part of the council and we do not entirely agree with her methods, we can acknowledge the advantage of Ms. Rosenberg accompanying the Slayer on her sacred duties around the world."  That was almost too good of an explanation but it was sufficient for Faith, for the time.

            "Yeah well if B qualifies as a special circumstance, then special circumstance number two is standing right here in front of you," Faith gestured to herself with one hand, remaining defensive and resistance.  "I don't need you."

            Her persistence did not deter Mathers who took another series of steps closer to her, the crisp, green, fall grass of the graveyard crunching softly beneath his feet.  "Not according to the council."  He would win this Slayer over, failure was not an option here.  "We believe you are in need of strong and suitable guidance.  Ms. Summers is able to act on her own thanks to the years of guidance and training she received from her watcher."  He took another step, standing close enough to Faith where he could feel the breath coming from her nose.  "You shouldn't be so resistant to this idea Faith, I can help you become a better Slayer."

            "Really?"  Faith's voice dripped with sarcasm as she cocked an eyebrow at that comment.  She already knew she dusted vampires with the best of them and didn't feel like she needed some stuck up British man telling her how to do her job or suggesting ways she might do it better.  "You think you can teach me something about slaying?"

            "Many things," he replied without hesitation.

            "Give it a shot," Faith scoffed.  The Slayer turned away and walked away from him, doubting he would be brave enough to either accept her challenge or try to stop her from leaving.  Without another word, Preston ran up behind her, leaping into a flying kick.  It was a move that was almost too predictable for Faith.  Acting on instinct alone, she spun around and grabbed his ankle while he was in the air.  She twisted it, not enough to cause any serious damage but just enough to send him spinning to the ground.

            Faith stood over Preston, who was now panting, bent down slightly and gave him a wry grin.  "Yeah, like I didn't see that one coming.  For the record, if you're going to try catching the Slayer off her guard, might want to try a trick aside from one that every vampire out there has already come up with."  Faster than Faith could react to, Preston pulled a concealed dagger from his suit jacket and pressed it lightly against her neck.

            Now the watcher had her attention.  "Hey now," the Slayer tried to act casually and calm as her eyes tentatively glanced at the blade pressing against her skin.  "Be careful with that thing, don't want anybody to get hurt."

            "You must be prepared at all times," Faith tried to determine which would be the less painful of the alternatives, having her throat cut or receiving a lecture on her combat techniques.  "You never know what alternatives a vampire or any other creature might employ when it is in a desperate situation.  You thought you had me beaten and underestimated me, you can never do such a thing, not if you hope to live."

            "Got news for you," Faith quickly grabbed his wrist, applying a great deal of force to the pressure point on the underside of his arm, stunning him briefly.  "You're not the only one with a few tricks up their sleeve."  She bent his hand backwards, causing his grip to weaken and the knife to fall from his hand.  Faith dropped her own hand down, grasped the weapon and put it against his own throat.  "Still think I need training?"  She asked as they locked eyes.

            "A vampire wouldn't have delayed for as long as I did, if you were facing a true enemy you would be dead."  The watcher remained resolute in trying to bring Faith over to the idea of him being around and being in charge.

            "A vampire wouldn't have lived as long as you did either."  Faith released the knife, letting it fall harmlessly to the side of Preston's head.  She stood up and began to walk away, hoping that this conversation was finished and the annoying little man would disappear.

            "You can never be sure," Preston slowly made his way to his feet and pursued Faith.  "A vampire will take advantage of your every weakness, your every hesitation.  Even a second, half of a second, could cost you your life."  He caught up to Faith whose pace had increased when he began following.

            "Yeah, heard all of it before," Faith quipped.  "Never turn your back, never give your enemy a second, never think the fight is finished before it really is.  I get it."

            "Then why do you have your back turned towards me?"  Faith reacted instantly to the meaning of the question from Preston.  She pivoted on the heel of her right foot, coming around and knocking another dagger from his hand with a open-handed strike before sweeping his legs out from under him with her left leg.

            "Are we still playing these games?"  Faith barely paid any further heed to him before turning around and continuing to walk away.  The Slayer believed he surely would have gotten the point by now.  It seemed though that he was more hard-headed than she had given him credit for.  He was quickly back on his feet, grabbing the weapon and again advancing on her from behind.

            "This is no game!"  He exclaimed, lunging for her lower back with the dagger.  Faith side-stepped the attack and kicked the back of Preston's left knee, sending him again to the ground.  He rolled over, attempting to quickly recover but Faith's foot pinned his hand to the ground before he could regain control of the dagger.

            "You're right," Faith relinquished her hold on his hand.  This time however, she didn't walk off but instead extended a hand and helped Preston back to his feet.  "A game would be a whole hell of a lot harder then you're making this.  Why don't you get out of here before something serious happens?"  Faith couldn't see Preston being able to hold his own if any sort of a demon attacked and she didn't want to be having to watch his back while watching her own.  Now she began walking off but Preston still followed.

            "I assure you Faith, I am quite capable of holding my own in combat," he caught up to her and walked by her side.  She looked at him, growing increasingly annoyed but also gaining a slight respect that he was continuing to persevere despite her continued rejection.  "But that is not the issue here.  I have been given a duty.  It is a duty I take very seriously," Faith glanced at his eyes as he spoke, seeing in them, for the first time, a deep conviction and dedication.  "And it is a duty that I intend to carry out.  If you will give me the chance Faith, I can help you be a better Slayer and perhaps you can help me be a better watcher."

            Faith softened under his appeal.  It made her consider that perhaps she did need someone.  Spike had put himself out of the picture, Robert was virtually ignoring her and Dawn and Kennedy, while great help, were only humans, regular humans and they had their own lives as well.  "Hey whatever," Faith didn't want to seem to anxious to accept the new watcher.  "If you're going to stay anyways, you might as well be useful right?"

            "Excellent," Preston congratulated himself in his own mind for breaking through Faith's barriers.  That was one obstacle out of the way.  The two continued walking silently through the cemetery, finally reaching the street.  "I am going back to my hotel room for the evening."  That didn't hurt Faith's feelings.  "I would like to meet everyone who is involved in your duties, shall we schedule a meeting for tomorrow afternoon at your house?"

            Faith shrugged.  "Again, whatever."

            Not wanting to create a further rift between him and the Slayer by trying to get closer, Preston decided it would simply be better for them to go their separate ways for the evening.  "Four o'clock then?"  Faith nodded a silent acceptance of his proposal.  "I will see you then Faith."  

Preston and the Slayer began walking in separate directions.  Every several steps, Preston would look over his shoulder.  Once he was sure Faith was a safe distance away, he reached into his inner jacket pocket, removing a small silver cellular phone.  He scrolled through the list of speed dial numbers before finally settling on one and pressing the send button.  A short minute later, the recipient of the call answered.  "Everything is going as planned."

*******

            A thick evening fog had settled into the streets of downtown London.  He had walked these streets dozens if not hundreds of times at all hours of the day and night, through rain, fog and every other weather imaginable but something about a heavy fog always left him disconcerted.  Perhaps because fog was considered synonymous with everything he had pledged his life to fight.

            With the fog growing worse, he could barely see more than a hand's length in front of himself.  The tall building around him became black shadows in the fog.  People became blank, expressionless silhouettes, passing him in the evening.  He grew increasingly tense with each step until finally realizing he was less than two blocks from the new headquarters of the Watcher's Council.  At this point he relaxed.  This part of London was not known for having the greatest concentration of demons.

            He didn't know what it was that caused him to trip, most likely an irregularity in the sidewalk.  His briefcase fell out of his hand, books and papers fluttering across the pavement.  He quickly scrambled to his feet, not taking the team to dust off his dark brown suit before grabbing the books and papers, hurriedly stuffing them back into their place.  Those materials were ones that did not need to find their way into the wrong hands, which was defined as any hands but those of the council.

            As he finished gathering his belongings, he took notice that all of the other people who had been on the street with him had disappeared.  He looked around momentarily, shaken by the strange occurrence.  At this time of day, it was almost unheard of for a street such as this near a busy intersection to be completely empty.

            Then, he saw a figure emerging from the fog.  Though his features were still obscured by the gray mist, he could tell, by the way his stature, by the way he walked, by the way he shirt fluttered in the light breeze and by the way he walked without making a sound, exactly who it was.  "You," he whispered his realization.

            He emerged from the fog and nodded.  "Long time no see Geoffrey."  Geoffrey's suspicions were confirmed when he looked at the young man.  His appearance was virtually unchanged from the last time he had seen him, short, tight brown hair, piercing green eyes and light colored skin.  He was not the type who looked exceptionally strong but his eyes and all too cool expression, as he circled the almost trembling watcher, betrayed the fact that he was far stronger than he appeared.  His black t-shirt and light blue jeans hung loosely from his body.  He also wore a short-sleeve button-up shirt, a silver-grey color on the top that faded to black on the bottom, unbuttoned, on top of his other clothing.

            "We thought you were dead," Geoffrey was almost paralyzed.  Of all the encounters he could have had this evening, vampire, demon, this was the one he had both least expected and least looked forward to.  "We though the First's operatives had gotten to you."

            "Funny," his voice was chilling, he continued to circle Geoffrey.  "The Taiwanese police didn't seem to think that when they kicked down the door to my apartment brandishing sub-machineguns.  Took me a little time but I figured out that they got information that a wanted person was hiding there, information from England no less."  He stopped in front of the watcher and looked into his eyes.  "Now where do you think they got that information from Geoff?"

            "Please try to understand," Geoffrey was now only interested in buying enough time to save his own life or prevent whatever he had planned.  People would be back on the street soon enough, surely he wouldn't try anything in front of witnesses.  "We didn't know your status.  No response to phone calls, e-mails and two operatives that were sent to contact you disappeared.  We wanted to try to bring you in unharmed."

            "Uh-huh," Geoffrey must have though him a fool.  "So that's why they fired over one-hundred rounds when they first kicked the door in, before they even identified themselves?  Seems to me like you guys thought you had a problem and wanted to quietly get rid of it.  After all, who is going to think twice about police shooting a wanted felon when he tries to resist arrest?  Especially when that wanted felon has no families, no ties to anything, no one would miss him."

            "Listen to me my friend," Geoffrey prayed a silent prayer that is pleas would reach the man who seemed entirely too far gone for anything to help him.  "There is still a place for you and your services in the council.  You can still do some good.  You can still help us to win the fight.  I don't think you want to turn your back on that.  Giles will welcome you back."

            "You're right," his brief moment where he thought he had reached him was short-lived.  "But the council is weak.  Giles is weak, even the Slayers are weak.  None of you realize what has to be done.  We have to be just as ruthless as they are if we hope to stand a chance at winning this war.  None of you can do that.  Not Giles, not the council and not the Slayers."  He resumed circling the watcher, placing his hands behind his back.

            "But that is how it is done.  The council is the guide, the Slayers are the implement."  Geoffrey tried to by more time, his former associate's ramblings bordering more and more upon insanity.  "There can be no other way.  Those are the rules of the game."

            "Yeah well," he again stopped circling and stood in front of Geoffrey, his arms still behind his back.  "I'm tired of playing by the rules."  The pain was sharp and quick, Geoffrey not even realizing what had happened until he looked down to see a long dagger stabbed into his lower stomach and the man's hand holding it tightly in place.

            The watcher choked, his own blood filling his throat.  His body went limp as the pain became too great for him to bare.  He fell to the ground at the same time the man pulled the dagger from him, wiping it off with a black cloth.  The last thing Geoffrey saw was the man bending down over him, not even phased by what he had just done.  The pain caused him to pass out before he had to feel what the man did next.

            When the London police arrived only minutes later, a large crowd had gathered around the body.  One of the first things they noticed, aside from the gaping wound in his lower body was that both of his eyes and been, neatly and delicately cut from their sockets.

**_To be continued …_**


	3. Act Two

ACT TWO 

            Dawn cringed when she saw the flashing red and blue lights mounted on top of a Sunnydale Police patrol car in her rearview mirror.  Faith wasn't going to like this.  Even though she had her driver's license, it had taken a great deal of convincing for Faith to let her simply drive herself and Kennedy to school.  Now she was coming up with ways to talk the Slayer into loaning her money to pay for the ticket.

            "Faith is going to kill you," Kennedy echoed Dawn's thoughts from the passenger's seat.  "I mean seriously, she might not kill you but by the time you get ungrounded, you might as well be dead."

            "Would you shut up!"  Dawn, in a panic, dug through her purse attempting to locate her driver's license after she brought the vehicle to a complete stop on the side of the road.  "Besides, he might not give me a ticket, it's not like I was going all that fast."

            "You were doing fifty in a twenty-five mile per hour school zone."

            "Okay, we've talked about you using technicalities against me," Dawn scolded her by waving and pointing a finger when she finally recovered her driver's license from the bottom of her purse.  As the police officer approached, she ran through a list of possible excuses in her head, thinking that if she used her cutest voice and sounded really sorry and gave her cutest little smile that he would feel bad and not give her a ticket, thus saving her life.  With the few seconds she had remaining, Dawn flicked her hair behind her ears and quickly checked her makeup in the visor mirror.

            "You really think you're going to charm your way out of this?"  Kennedy didn't have much faith in Dawn's plan.

            "What, you don't think I'm cute enough?"  Dawn asked innocently, trying to slip into the part she would have to play to get out of a much feared speeding ticket.

            "Plenty cute, I just don't think the cop is going to take cute as an excuse for reckless driving."

            "I don't know," both girls recognized Robert Bloodworth as he poked his head into Dawn's window, looking over his sunglasses at the two girls.  "Probably wouldn't get away with it if it was just one but I think I can make an exception for two cute girls."  Both Dawn and Kennedy smirked at the remarks, Dawn having to refrain from breathing a sigh of relief.

            "Hey Robert," Kennedy greeted him with a reserved wave.

            "Kennedy," Robert pulled his sunglasses off.  "You know I thought potential Slayers were supposed to be responsible?"  Kennedy raised her eyebrows, asking for a quick explanation to his comment.  "What are you doing letting her drive like that?"

            "Tried to stop her but her charms overwhelmed me," Kennedy's reply very deliberately made fun of Dawn's earlier plan for talking and using her charm to get out of a ticket.

            "So you're really not going to give me a ticket?"  Dawn still used a little bit of her cute voice and smile when asking the question she hoped she already knew the answer to.

            "She's kind of worried about Slayer wrath if she gets one and has to go begging for money to pay for it," Kennedy added to Dawn's case.

            "Yeah, I can understand that," Robert knew a little bit about the temper Faith could have from time to time.  The tone in his voice suddenly changed from jocular to stern and serious.  "How is Faith doing anyways?  She all right?"

            "She's fine," Dawn was quick to answer, still hoping to earn points towards not receiving a ticket.  "Doing the whole patrol, sacred calling, demon killing thing a lot lately.  We're actually all supposed to have some big meeting this afternoon.  Faith wouldn't say what it was about but you should show."

            "Yeah well, I always hated being the guy that showed up to the party uninvited."  If Faith wanted him there, she could invite him herself and he doubted he would be receiving that invitation anytime soon.  The Slayer didn't seem to be taking his arrival in Sunnydale as well as he had hoped she would.  After a moment where Robert didn't say anything and Dawn and Kennedy didn't know what to say, he finally backed away from the car.  "Just slow it down and be careful Dawn, don't want to see anything happen to the two of you."

            "Thanks Robert," Dawn relaxed for the first time since she had seen the flashing lights in her mirror.  "I'll tell Faith you said hi," Dawn gathered from the expression on his face that that may not have been the best way to end the conversation.  Robert seemed rather touchy when speaking on the subject of Faith.

            "Yeah, thanks, you two take care and drive safely," Robert walked back to his car and Dawn drove away.  When he stepped back into his patrol unit and put the vehicle in drive to resume his duties, his thoughts lingered on Faith.  "Get a hold of yourself Robert," he tried to drive the thoughts of her from his mind.  Just then, his pager went off.  He pulled it off his duty belt and checked the number, one he recognized as Faith's cellular phone.

*******

            It had been a long, rough and tiring night and morning for Spike and Harmony.  The two vampires rested now.  Harmony nuzzled against Spike's cheek, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder, arm draped across his bare chest, just above his red sheets.  "Wow," Harmony was so spent that she was barely able to form the words.  It hadn't even been that good when Spike was imagining her as Buffy years before.

            "You were great love," Spike kissed her forehead, gently pulling her slightly closer to him in the process.  "Don't know what I was ever thinking, leaving you, thinking I fell in love with a Slayer.  Makes me sick to my stomach to think I hurt you and wasted so much time pursuing her."

            Even though Harmony knew it was just the effects of the medallion Spike talking, she didn't care.  He was hers again and now nothing could take him away from her.  "That's so sweet Spikey."  She softly put her hand on his cheek and guided his face to look at hers.  "And you came around in just enough time to help me with my plan."

            "Oh yeah, all ears babe.  So what is this ultimate evil scheme you've got brewing inside that pretty little head of yours?"  Spike delicately ran his fingers through her golden hair, staring into her eyes the entire time.

            "Well," Harmony began excitedly explaining the scheme she had concocted.  "First I use the medallion to mind control the entire town, then I send them after the Slayer.  Once she dies, no more Slayer, vampires and demons move in and I become their queen."

            "Great plan babe," Spike's tone bordered on sarcasm, leading Harmony to think she was going to have to give him another dose of the medallion.  "But you really think the Slayer is just going to let you walk around the town mind controlling people?  I mean, granted she's not the sharpest tack but I think after the first couple dozen people come after her, saying they worship you, she might start to get the idea and put a stake through your heart before you can use your little flashy thingy anymore."

            "Don't worry Spikey, I've already figured out how to get the whole town at once!"  Harmony's voice literally squeaked with excitement.  "Well, most of the whole town at least."  Spike's eyes begged for her to continue even though his hand wandering underneath the sheets and blankets indicated he was more interested in something else.  "You see, this Friday is the high school's first football game.  All I have to do is get onto the field, use the medallion and I have every high school football fan under my control."

            "Well, well, well, aren't you the little evil genius?"  Spike was genuinely impressed with her plan and the degree of thought she seemed to have put into it.  "But you're forgetting something love.  You've got a couple days until Friday night and word might reach the Slayer about your little plans before then.  Maybe you need someone to distract her while you take care of the whole brainwashing deal."

            Harmony caught what Spike was implying.  His mind worked so well when it was completely under her control.  She rolled slightly away from Spike, prompting him to tighten his grip as she grabbed the medallion off the nightstand and held it over Spike's head.  "I want you to take care of the Slayer for me Spikey."

            The other vampire grinned.  "I thought you'd never ask love."  He kissed her deeply, his passion flaring at the thought of finally being able to take on another Slayer.  He had gone too long without the taste of Slayer in his mouth.  "She won't even see it coming, that's the advantage of being on good terms with her, leaves her vulnerable."

            "But don't kill her," Harmony reminded him.  "I have to be the one to kill her."

            "Not a problem Harm," Spike resumed petting her hair and gazing into her eyes.  "I'll just keep her occupied and out of your hair long enough for you to do your thing.  Get her good and ready for you and your little army to make the final blow.  Then she'll be gone and you can rule this town."

            "We can rule this town Spikey," Harmony believed that every good evil leader needed a right hand and her newly brainwashed version of Spike would fit that job quite perfectly.  "You and I will rule this town and we'll unleash hell on earth."

            "Sounds great love.  You and I are going to have a lot of fun, make up for all the time we lost," Spike sounded perfectly sincere, saying exactly what Harmony wanted to hear.

            "You're okay with me taking over the world Spikey?  Even with the whole soul thing, it doesn't bother you?"  It was as much a legitimate question as it was a test to be sure the effects of her medallion were still firmly in place over Spike.

            "Of course not Harm, I'd do anything for you."  Again, Harmony didn't care that it was just the effects of the medallion talking.  "Besides, it's not like people with souls can't be evil too you know.  Some of the most evil people in history have all had souls.  The soul doesn't keep me from being evil.  Thanks to you love, doesn't even make me feel bad about it."

            "So I'm like your savior!"  Harmony hadn't considered that by mind controlling Spike she was, in effect, saving him from what he had become since falling in love with the Slayer.

            "Yeah something like that," Spike wasn't quite sure how to describe what she had done for him as he was not quite sure he understood what she had done.

            "Yay me!"  Harmony squealed congratulation to herself.

            "So," Spike began to twirl some of her hair on his finger.  "Daytime out right now, we've got some time to kill before I go start keeping the Slayer occupied for you."  Harmony got the message.

*******

            As he pulled his patrol car into Faith's driveway, noting the presence of both her own car and Xander's, Robert still wasn't sure why Faith had asked him to come to this little get together.  He figured, based on what Dawn had told him, that there was some new evil threatening the town that she might want his help in dealing with.  That had to be the explanation as he could think of no other reason why Faith would want to see him, without being too hopeful of course.

            He had completed his duty shift a few minutes before and didn't want to risk being late by taking the time to go to his apartment and change out of his uniform before going to Faith's for the meeting.  Instead, he simply advised dispatch that he was off duty and proceeded to her place.

            He slowly walked up to the door, putting out of his mind how easy it would be to simply turn around and walk away.  He rang the doorbell, put his arms behind his back and waited.  Mere seconds later, the door slowly opened with Faith standing on the other side.  Her eyes were tired, a sign she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before thanks to having something on her mind.  She was still beautiful however; her blue button up shirt hanging out of her light brown pants perfectly accented her features.

            "Faith, hi," Robert surprised himself with his ability to form the words.

            "Hey," Faith's voice was soft and troubled.  The Slayer suddenly felt strange with him being here after doing her best to avoid and not think about him for the better part of a week.  After a moment of silent looks being exchanged between them, Faith recovered.  "Umm … everyone else is here already, why don't you come in on.  We can get this party started," from the sound of her voice, Robert could tell she saw this meeting as anything but a party, more like a funeral.

            Robert followed her into the living room where Xander, Dawn and Kennedy were all seated with someone he didn't recognize, a clean cut man in a dark blue suit, standing next to the dark wooden coffee table in the middle of the room.  Robert eyed him suspiciously as he slowly walked in, hand falling inconspicuously over the thumb break to his holster.  There was something about this mysterious stranger that didn't sit well with him.  He considered that it was perhaps a friend or associate of Faith's he didn't know but, seeing the way she and the others looked at him, he doubted it.

            Dawn gestured to an empty place on the couch next to her by patting it several times when she saw Robert enter.  He slowly sat down, leaving Faith standing next to the man, keeping a cautious eye on him.

            "Where's Andrew?"  Faith raised an eyebrow towards Xander, wondering if the nerd was coming or if Xander had purposefully lost his roommate.

            "Eight day long Star Trek convention in LA," no one wanted any more of an explanation from Xander.  "Yep, eight days where every nerd in California will be gathered into a single, confined space and yet, demons still think there's better things to go after in Sunnydale."

            "All right, Andrew at a Star Trek convention, Wood at a principal's conference," she slowly turned and looked at Preston.  "Guess everyone is here then."  The watcher remained silent, still waiting for Faith to make another move.  "Not much on introductions," the Slayer continued with a shrug.  "Everyone, this is Preston.  Preston, this is Kennedy, Xander, Dawn and Robert," she went around the room, pointing at each one of her friends who still had no idea what they were all doing here or who this Preston was.

            "What about the vampire?"  Preston did not even acknowledge their presence before asking Faith that question.  "The one with the soul, Spike I believe he likes to call himself.  All the reports I read indicated that he was an integral part in of the Slayer's efforts in Sunnydale, as odd as that seems."

            "Spike's out of the picture," Faith answered coldly.

            "He was killed?"  Preston removed a small notepad and pen from his jacket pocket to make a note to amend their information if that was in fact the case.

            "No," Dawn beat Faith to the answer, also sounding rather detached on the subject of Spike.  "He just took himself out of the picture.  Tired of the whole being hated by every other member of his race thing I guess."

            "Curious," Preston made a small notation on his notepad before turning his head towards Faith.  "Do you believe it is possible that he could be a threat?  Given his change in attitude, I think it possible that he could be reverting to his old ways."

            "Look," Faith said gravely.  Seeing the way she stepped towards Preston and the manner in which he acted, Robert slowly stood up and walked toward them, planning to intervene if there was any sort of a problem.  "Spike might be a lot of things and he might be a little confused right now but he isn't a killer again."  Her voice indicated that she wanted that particular line of thought to end.

            "I was merely suggesting –" Faith did not allow him to continue.

            "Then stop suggesting," the Slayer demanded.

            Preston leaned closer to Faith, wanting his next comment to be out of the other's earshot, though Robert could still hear them.  "Faith, I do not believe you should be questioning my authority in front of the others.  It will not do well for moral or for maintaining my image."

            Faith gave a frustrated sigh but also kept her voice low enough not to be heard by any but Preston and Robert who was eavesdropping nearby them.  "Look pal, no offense, I just don't do well with authority figures."

            "That's true," Robert muttered with raised eyebrows, hoping to break the tense air between them.  As it became obvious that Faith and Preston weren't going to come to blows, he sat back down next to Dawn.

            "Just what kind of authority figure are you exactly?"  Kennedy drew awkward expressions from both Preston and Faith when they realized she too had overheard there conversation.  She gave an innocent shrug in response.  Slayer and watcher realized they needed to get on with the reason Preston had called this meeting.

            "My apologies," Preston turned away from Faith to address the group.  "I have been assigned here by the Watcher's Council of Great Britain to oversee Faith and her operations in Sunnydale."

            "Ah, so you just wanted to meet and greet everybody," Xander was the only one who had a comment on the revelation from Preston.  He walked towards the watcher and extended his hand.  Seeing the way Faith acted towards him, Xander thought it best that he do what he could to make Preston seem more welcome.  "Well, let me be the first to say welcome to the gang."

            Preston did not take the offer of friendship from Xander.  The watcher had wanted to late until later in the meeting to bring this up but since the issue of the 'gang' was now in front of him; he thought it best to get it over with.  "About that Mr. Harris," Xander immediately thought that Preston was being far too formal for this to be anything good.  "Upon reviewing reports regarding Sunnydale, I have determined that it is too dangerous for civilians to actively participate in the Slayer's duties."

            Xander was too stunned at those words to stop holding his hand out once it became clear Preston was not going to take it.  "Excuse me?"  Xander spoke for the expressions on the faces of the rest of those gathered at the Summers house.

            Preston's expression remained hard and cold.  He knew this was a necessary step, one the Slayer would be resistant too at first but would eventually adapt to.  "All of you have put yourself at far too great of risk far too many times while helping the Slayer in her duties.  As I am now responsible for Faith, I cannot risk your lives as well.  You are now forbidden from directly aiding Faith in her duties, with the exception of Kennedy whose training I shall personally oversee."

            "Hey listen," Faith spoke up where no one else would.  "Maybe this wasn't in your reports but if it weren't for some," she looked into the faces of each of them, Robert, Dawn, Kennedy and Xander.  "All of these people, Buffy and I probably would have been dead a long time ago."

            "The council recognizes their contributions," Preston did not seem willing to waver on this point.  "But I cannot and will not be responsible for the lives of civilians who are fighting a battle they have no place fighting against creatures far superior to them.  I will not relent on this position."

            Faith clenched a fist, her nails digging into her flesh as she pored her anger into it.  "If you won't relent on it then you can," Xander, approaching silently from behind placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, stopping her before she said something she probably wouldn't regret.

            "It's okay Faith, we're okay with it.  If this is how he wants it, then we can play along," she wondered what he was getting at and realized it wasn't anything when Xander said nothing else.

            "Yeah well," Robert was already on his way to the door.  Preston couldn't stop him from doing what he thought was right and he now suddenly felt this meeting was pointless.  "I think I've heard about all I need to hear."  The only acknowledgement he gave Faith on his way to the door was a stern glare.

            "Robert wait," Dawn was the one springing off the couch and running to the door to follow him, leaving the rest of them to sit and stand quietly in the living room.  The teenage girl caught up to him as he was unlocking the door to his patrol car.

            "What is it Dawn?"  He turned the key and pulled it out of the lock.  Robert did not want to talk, not to her, not to anyone at the moment.  Though he could understand the watcher's reasoning, he only saw it as being pushed further from Faith's life and further from what he thought he needed to do with his.

            "Hey, you're not the only one who isn't too thrilled about this new watcher but I think Faith wants us to play ball for now.  Maybe give him a little bit of time to adjust to everything here before she tries to bring everyone back into it.  I mean, not every Slayer has a little support group, got to be kind of a hard thing for Preston to accept."

            Robert allowed himself a slight smile.  After everything the young girl had probably been through, he could still here an uncanny innocence in her voice.  He turned around slowly, leaning against the hood of his vehicle.  "I know Dawn, I know, just something about Preston doesn't sit real well with me."

            "It's the stiff upper-lip," Dawn joked, taking a few steps closer to him.  "Seems odd at first but you get used to it," she achieved her goal in drawing another slight smile out of Robert.  "I know what you mean though, something about this whole situation just doesn't seem right."

            Robert could not deny that.  "I'm going to do some checking, see what I can find out about this Preston guy.  You and Xander should try to get a hold of Giles, if anyone can explain the actions of the council it'll probably be him."  He opened the door to his car and sat down in the driver's seat but did not yet close the door behind him.

            "I'll tell Faith about what we're doing, she might be interested."

            That was something Robert didn't agree with Dawn on.  "Let's keep it quiet for now," he suggested.  "Given her history with watchers, Faith probably has enough on her mind with this new guy as it is right now.  She doesn't need us going and putting all these doubts in her head, not until we have something more than a gut instinct.

            "Yeah," Dawn reluctantly concurred.

            "I'll call you if I find out anything."

            "Same here."

*******

            "I must admit I am rather excited by this," Preston took a deep breath of the warm evening air, smelling the freshly cut and watered grass that permeated it.  He was in a legitimately good mood, evidenced by the slight but noticeable grin on his face and by his demeanor as a whole.  "To be on patrol, even a routine one, with the Slayer is something every watcher wants to experience.  This is indeed a rare privilege."

            "Oh yeah, this is a barrel of fun," Faith tried to remain as detached from his as she could.

            "You don't understand Faith," the two continued walking side by side amongst the rows of tombstones, seeing no fresh graves to stop at.  "Very few watchers ever get the opportunity to have a Slayer.  This is a unique opportunity for me, a true honor."

            "You buttering me up there Pres?"  Faith could almost laugh at how Preston was acting.  This wasn't anything to her.  The life or death struggle of good vs. evil was something she did everyday, it was her life and she didn't see what Preston apparently saw in it.

            "Just attempting to share with you Faith how privileged I feel to be a part of your life and to be doing my duty by aiding you in yours."  The Slayer shook her head at the comment.

            "I get it Preston; you got the great job from Giles.  I'm happy for you," Preston picked up on the rather clear amount of sarcasm from the Slayer.

            "Speaking of Mr. Giles," Preston saw an opening now.  "What do you think of him?"

            Although she was keeping regular contact with him, Faith actually hadn't thought much about Giles lately.  "Giles?  I don't know, good man, nice enough guy I guess."

            "You were under him for a time were you not?"  Preston suddenly seemed rather interested in Giles.

            "Depends how you define under him," Faith quipped, wanting to avoid a long and drawn out conversation along the line Preston was progressing.  The look on Preston's face indicated that he was not amused.  "Yeah," Faith said to cool the air.  "He was both mine and Buffy's watcher for a while, before Wesley showed up and before I –" That was another topic she would rather not discuss.

            "What was your opinion of the manner in which he handled things while you were his charge?"  Preston continued to press for more information making Faith a slight bit suspicious.

            "Why are you so curious?"  Faith decided it was her turn to start asking questions.

            "Vampire," Preston gestured to two figures several feet away from them.  A burly man in a dated outfit had a young blonde bent over a tombstone and Faith guessed that this wasn't just a late-night high school make out session.  With her watcher following, Faith slowly and nonchalantly approached the vampire, drawing a stake from her back pocket.

            The blonde underneath the vampire struggled, squirming to keep her neck away from his fangs and pounding her fists against his chest.  "Oh help me!"  She shouted.  "Oh would someone please save me from this horrible, horrible, hellish, creature thing!"  Preston backed off slightly, not entirely convinced by the young woman's performance but he couldn't stop Faith in time.

            By the time he had developed his suspicion, Faith was standing behind the vampire, driving the stake through its back and into its heart.  The dust settled on top of the young woman's stylish outfit.  Faith extended a hand and helped her to her feet.  "Just a tip, graveyards aren't the vacation spots they used to be, too many natives prowling about nowadays."  Faith turned and began to walk away but came to an abrupt halt when she saw Spike standing a few feet in front of her.

            "Hello Slayer," Spike said coolly, a wry grin on his face.

            "What are you doing here?"  Faith was already annoyed; this was the last thing she needed.  There was something different about Spike though that she picked up on after a moment of watching him in silence.  Something was different about the way he walked, carried himself, his expression and his eyes.

            "Actually Slayer, I've got good news for you," Spike started walking closer, locking eyes with Faith.  "You see and old friend of mine came to see me, did something wonderful for me."

            "Permanently dyed the hair?"

            "No," Spike shook his head a single time.  "Turned me back into my old self."  The meaning of the statement hit Faith like a wrecking ball as she tightly gripped the stake in her hand.  "And now," Spike's face shifted to its demon form.  "I'm hungry."

            "Get out of here," Faith said, not bothering to look over her shoulder at the blonde behind her.

            "You don't want to go anywhere do you Harm?"  Spike crossed his arms and looked past Faith.  The Slayer spun around, seeing the vampiric face of the young girl she thought she had just rescued.  It had all been an act; this was a trap.

            "No, I'm happy right here."


	4. Act Three

ACT THREE 

            Harmony and Spike charged in unison at Faith.  The Slayer overcame her shock, letting her training and instincts guide her reaction.  She sidestepped Harmony's charge, grabbing the vampire by her shoulders and tossing her into Spike, piling them both on the ground.  "Great ambush Spike," Faith gripped her stake as the two vampires began to recover from the fall.  "I gotta admit, the little blonde bimbo there had me fooled."

            "She's not important," Spike dusted off his jacket, not bothering to help Harmony to her feet.  "Just some silly little thing I picked up, hoping she might do a better job than she did."  He began methodically closing on the Slayer.  "This is between you and me Slayer."  The vampire cracked his knuckles.  "It's been a long time since I've tasted a Slayer.  I just hope you aren't too sour, what with the whole evil thing and all."

            "Not gonna get the chance to find out," Faith flared, spinning her left fist around, striking Spike on the side of the face.  Before Spike could react, she brought her other fist down on his forehead, causing his knees to buckle.  Wasting no time, the Slayer kicked him in the face, sending the vampire flying backward.  "Come on Spike, I expected better than this."  The vampire recovered and was quickly back to his feet, slowly walking towards the Slayer.  "Maybe your little girlfriend would like to take a shot," she pointed at Harmony who had just pulled herself up, high heels causing something of a hindrance in doing so.

            "Leave the silly little girl out of this," Spike's comment infuriated Harmony.  This wasn't how he was supposed to be acting.  He was supposed to be worshipping her.  "Like I said, she's not important; you don't even need to worry about her."

            "I am so important!"  Harmony scrambled from behind Spike.  "I'm more important than you are," she scolded Spike with her finger.

            "No you're not," Spike quickly tried to remind her of the plan, hoping she would realize this wasn't part of it.  He then looked to Faith who was gazing at the two of them, watching their exchange with interest.  "No she's not," Spike tried to convince Faith.  Faith's eyes shot to Harmony.

            "I am so more important that you!"  Harmony said to Spike who shook his head in disappointment before she looked at Faith.  "He wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for me!  I made him like this, I control him now!"

            "Really?"  Faith was now interested in what she had to say.

            "Harmony shut up," Spike insisted, hoping to keep her from ruining everything by running her mouth.

            "Listen Mister!"  Harmony rapidly pointed a finger at him.  "You wouldn't even have this new attitude if it wasn't for me so you better stop trying to act like you're the big evil because I'm the one with the evil scheme here!"

            "Harmony, shut up."  Spike's voice became more intense as his companion continued to reveal more information that the Slayer did not need to know.

            "Don't even listen to him," Harmony pushed Spike aside, speaking only to Faith now.  "I'm your real nemesis here Slayer," Faith raised an eyebrow, thinking that evil forces must be getting desperate if they sent this vampire to fight her.  "I've got an evil plan and it's perfect!  For once, my plan is perfect!  That's right, perfect and you're not going to live through it Slayer."

            "Harmony!"  Spike threw a hand over her mouth, muffling her babbling.  "Don't listen to her, she drank some bad blood right before we came looking for you, messing with the poor girl's head I'm afraid."  Spike's attempt at subtly trying to write off Harmony's comments did not go unnoticed by Faith nor did it work for Harmony.

            She pushed his hand away from her face and continued rambling.  "He's lying, I am so the big bad!  The only reason he's saying I'm not is because he wanted to distract –" It suddenly hit Harmony that she was revealing her own plan.  "Oh yeah, right, Spike is the big bad guy," her voice was less than convincing.  "I'm just your normal, everyday, run of the mill vampire with no diabolical plan for this town."

            "Whatever," Faith shrugged.  "If you two are done deciding who is the big bad and who is the henchman, can we get on with, I don't know, me staking the both of you maybe?"

            "Don't be so confident Slayer," Spike grinned.  By the sound of his voice and his very presence, it was clear he felt as though he had the situation completely under control.  "Remember, you're not the first Slayer I've faced and you won't be the last either."

            "Maybe you're the one who's over confident."  Faith did not crack.  "Because I've killed a lot of vampires Spike and you're no different than the rest of them.  Sure, you might have tricked a lot of people into thinking that you were but regardless of where this new little change in you came from, it's the real you and I'm going to enjoy killing you."

            "Yeah," nor did Spike falter, his voice remained cool as steel.  "I've noticed you seem to get off on that sort of thing.  Well this ought to feel real good then, getting rid of the vampire that has helped save your neck on more than one occasion."  He took a step closer, looking down at the Slayer and seeing the hate in her eyes swell.  "If you live, I bet you'll go home after you've done the deed.  Be all hot, sweaty and bothered, laying there with your hand under the sheet."  Faith hit him with a ferocious uppercut.  It took Spike only a second to recover, laughing at her when he did so.

            "Let's get this over with," Faith was now more than ready to end this game.

            Spike continued laughing for another moment.  Seeing Faith standing in an offensive stance, stake at the ready, he didn't risk closing to the distance he had before, opting instead to stay slightly out of her reach, next to Harmony.  "Don't be so eager for the dance to end so soon Slayer."

            As Faith prepared to bolt towards the vampires, Preston appeared in front of her, holding a cross an arm's length in front of him towards Spike and Harmony.  This action earned him growls from both of the vampires.  His hand was slightly unsteady but his determination did not falter.  "Back foul things!"  He commanded.

            "Well look at this," Spike grinned and looked Preston over from head to toe, not seemingly impressed with what he saw.  "Stupid, out of style suit, lousy accent and a deer in the headlights look, hot damn I think we have a new watcher on our hands here Harm!"

            "You heard him," Faith walked to Preston's side and crossed her arms, a stake still ready in one hand.  "Get the hell out of here."

            "I didn't think you'd want it to end just yet, you might make a fun game yet Slayer," Spike too Harmony by the hand and walked off into the darkness, neither Faith nor Preston offering pursuit.

            "You're going to let them escape?"  Preston was surprised by Faith's actions.  He knew Faith was capable of handling herself against superior numbers of vampires and wondered what was different about these two that caused Faith to spare them for the time.

            "Don't worry; I think we'll see them again."

*******

            The advent of the global telecommunications system was quite possibly one of the greatest tools for law enforcement developed during the last century.  Robert Bloodworth had access to police reports, warrant information and criminal records from across the globe on the screen in front of him, all by clicking a few buttons on the mouse and typing in his assigned password.  He had spent the last hour searching for any sort of information available on Faith's new watcher and coming up with nothing.  The council was apparently good and covering the tracks of its people.

            The patrol office of the Sunnydale Police Department was relatively empty on this Friday morning.  Of the sixteen desks, neatly arranged side by side in two rows, all outfitted with computers and other essentials, available, only two were occupied, one by Robert and one by another officer completing an offense report left over from the day before.

            After completing a single patrol of his assigned area of the city early in the morning, Robert had wasted no time in coming to the office and logging onto the computer system.  He had queried the name Preston Mathers, along with several variations of it, in the FBI and INTERPOL databases, coming up with no criminal or fugitive records that remotely matched the description of Faith's watcher.

            Finally, he became frustrated, taking his hands off the keyboard and rolling his chair slightly away from the desk.  Although he had little information about Preston to work with, he had thought there would be something out there on him.  He began to wonder if he was looking for something wrong with Preston just to make himself feel better about the watcher's sudden arrival in Sunnydale and pushing him further away from Faith.

            If that was the case, it didn't really bother him; he still wanted to find something regardless of his motivations.  Robert loaded a program that allowed him to send a digital message to nearby law enforcement agencies.  I typed out a simple request for them to check recent reports to see if they had dealt with anyone matching Preston's name or description.  He knew it was a long shot but one he felt was justified as Preston would have had to pass through a larger city in California before coming to Sunnydale.

            Once his message was sent, Robert logged off the computer and leaned back, propping his hands behind his head.  After he had left Faith's yesterday, he had spent the better part of the day training at his apartment.  Despite being nearly exhausted from the hours of rigorous workout he had subjected himself to, Robert was barely able to sleep that night, consumed by thoughts of Faith and eager to get to the bottom of the appearance of this new watcher.

            Now, all of that anticipation had worn off, replaced by a feeling of disappointment.  Barring any information arising from the message he sent or from Dawn contacting the council, it seemed as though Preston was the genuine article.  He needed to get out and do something, anything to get his mind back on his job.

            On cue, Chief Morgan appeared in the door to the patrol office, a stack of paper's in his hand.  "Robert," when the Chief entered, he ceased leaning back and acted as though he was gathering his things, preparing to head back out onto the road.

            "How's it going boss?"  Robert collected a new ticket book and several field report forms off the desk and placed them on his clipboard, stuffing it under his arm as he shook the Chief's hand.

            "Can't complain I guess.  Hey, you interested in picking up some overtime later today?  We need to send a few people up to the football games and all of our shifts are overworked as it is so we're going to send off-duty people and pay the extra money."

            That sounded precisely like what Robert needed.  Get away from everything dealing with Faith and slaying, kick back and enjoy a football game while doing his job at the same time.  "Yeah, I'll definitely do it."

            "Great, game starts at seven thirty but I'd say be there an hour or so early.  We want to make our presence there visible and you don't want to miss any of the pre-game."

            "No doubt there boss," Robert and the Chief walked through the office, to the parking lot where both made for there respective vehicles.  "So how is the team supposed to be this year?"

            "Supposed to have a decent shot at going to state from what I hear."

            "That's good news."

            "Yeah and I hear the half-time show is supposed to be killer also," Chief Morgan had no idea the accuracy of that statement.

*******

            "Harmony what were you thinking?"  Spike had spent most of their time in the crypt following last night's encounter with Faith scolding her for very nearly sending her own plan straight to the trashcan by trying to impress the Slayer with her self-proclaimed evil genius.  "I mean, you weren't even supposed to be there.  The whole point was for you to not be there!"  She sat on the bed with her head lowered as Spike continued to dress her down.  "That way, the Slayer spends her time looking for me but thanks to your little screw up, she could very well be on to your perfectly evil plan."

            "I guess I really screwed up huh Spikey?"  Harmony was soft and reserved, not able to stand up to Spike after the hours long lecture on the principals of scheming she had just received from him.

            "Your damn right you screwed up!"  Spike threw his arms in the air to emphasize his point.  "Thanks to that big mouth of yours, the Slayer knows you're up to something and probably plans to do everything she can to stop you!  Unless she bought my little last minute ploy better than I think she did or is just really pissed at me, you can bet she'll be staking for you before she turns her attention over to me."

            "Then you just have to keep her from killing me until tonight."  Harmony sprung off the bed, wrapping her arms around Spike's waste and trying to look into his eyes, only to have him look away.  It wasn't like she hadn't seen him angry before but he wasn't supposed to be like this, he was supposed to be worshipping her.  "Then I use my flashy thingy on the whole town at the football game and then everybody else takes care of the Slayer for me."

            "And I'll keep her from killing you but you have to promise to do what I say," Spike got to the real purpose of this whole conversation.  He knew he could keep Harmony safe from the Slayer; it was keeping her safe from herself that he thought he might have problems with.

            "But you're supposed to be doing what I say!"  Harmony insisted, reaching for the medallion hidden in her white leather jacket, prepared to give him another dose if he continued with his insubordinate behavior.  "Don't make me zap you again!"

            Spike sighed.  "Harmony, you silly twit, do you really think I would even be coming up with a plan to help you if I wasn't being controlled by your flashy little brain jewel.  Of course I'm doing what you say but you've got to admit, you're not the best when it comes to the practical strategizing."

            "Hey, I came up with this evil plan buster!"  Frustrated, she pounded a fist into his chest before slipping her arms back around him, his arms tightening around her in response.  It felt good to be held by him again.  She knew it wasn't really him but she didn't really care.

            "Yes but you need my help.  Without me the Slayer will stake you in an instant and then what happens to your evil plan?"  Harmony didn't need him to give her the answer to that question.  "So, listen to me and I'll make sure nothing happens that might mess up your big day."

            "Our big day Spikey.  Our big day."

*******

            "I knew it," that was the one thing nobody else in the Summers' living room wanted to here from Xander.  "I tried to tell everybody, no not tried, I actually said it, more times than I can count but still, nobody believed me.  I hate to say I told you so but when it comes to the subject of Spike being evil and nobody listening to me about how it would happen again someday, oh yeah, I told you so."  

Xander finished his speech, opening the room for a comment from Faith, Dawn, Kennedy or Preston, all of whom said nothing.  Spike's sudden and unexpected return to the dark side came as a serious blow to all of them when Faith had told the story about what had happened.  Although all she had actually said was, "Spike is evil again and tried to kill me," it was enough to get the point across to the rest of the group who had not been there.

"Xander," Dawn gave him a subtle hint that his comments were not appreciated and to be quiet.  They didn't need arguments or people bragging about how they knew this would happen, right now they needed answers and a plan.  "A little less negativity could go a long way."

"Just saying that, oh yeah, Giles and I told all of you."

"Nobody could have anticipated this radical change from Spike," Preston jumped in next.  "Something must have set him down this path; it is difficult to believe that he would so willingly do what he tried to do having a soul."

"Excuse me," Xander interjected.  "Did you just miss my speech?"  Preston shot him a stern expression.  Seeing the way the watcher regarded him and knowing he already wasn't thrilled about having her friends here, Faith pulled him slightly aside.

"Look, it's not helping," the Slayer whispered, not wanting her watcher to overhear the conversation.  "So if you can't think of something helpful to do or just keep your mouth shut, you can leave at any time."

"Sorry Faith," he hadn't actually intended to be annoying.  "Just have a lot of built up steam when it comes to the whole Spike issue.  I'll keep my mouth shut though."

"Unless you have something relevant to add," Faith jokingly added.

"Just promise me one thing?"  Faith didn't need Xander to tell her what it was.

"Don't worry hon; I'll stake him twice for you."

"Thank you," the two went back to their places with the group, seated on couches around the coffee table, Faith next to Preston and Xander between Dawn and Kennedy.

"Faith, is there anything else you remember about the encounter with Spike that could prove useful in helping to determine the cause of his behavior?"  Preston skipped right back to the point of the meeting.  He would have witnessed more the previous night had Spike not hit him from behind after Faith ran to 'rescue' the girl under attack by the vampire.

The Slayer shook her head in response to the question.  "No, just that ditsy little blonde vampire that kept acting like she was in charge.  Said she was my nemesis and that she had some evil plan.  Reminded me of the kind of girls I hated in school."

Evidenced by the expressions on their faces, both Dawn and Xander realized what was happening at the same time.  "Oh no," Dawn drew curious glances from Faith, Preston and Kennedy.

"What?"  Kennedy was the first to ask.

"Please not Harmony, oh please don't let it be Harmony," Xander began almost rambling next.  It wasn't that he was scared of his former high school classmate; he simply didn't want the annoyance of having her back in town which could possibly lead to having to listen to her talk.

"Yeah, that's what Spike called her," Faith recalled.

"Oh god no," Xander muttered.

"So what's the big deal?"  Faith certainly didn't see it, nor did Preston or Kennedy.  "We just find her and kill her.  Stake through the heart, beheading, fire."

"All good plans," Xander interjected.  "All of which will work just fine but you need to be careful, Harmony isn't your normal vampire."

"Real powerful?"  Not that Faith doubted Xander's assessment, as he had encountered her before, but the Slayer didn't notice anything particularly menacing or powerful about Harmony when she had come up against her and Spike the night before.

"Try really, really, stupid," that explanation from Xander made more sense.  "And that's not to be taken lightly.  If she and Spike are back together, you can bet nothing good is going to come from whatever they're planning."

"But if it helps, Harmony's plans have a history of not working out quite like they're supposed to," Dawn had firsthand knowledge of that fact.

"Whatever their plan may be and regardless of why Spike has again switched sides," Preston took charge of the conversation.  "We must make sure that their plan does not come to fruition.  Faith, you and I will go tonight to Spike's crypt and attempt to catch him and Harmony off guard.  If they are not there, we will engage in a coordinated hunt."

"Sure thing boss, just going to have to wait until later tonight, got some responsibilities from the other job to take care of tonight also," Faith's remarks caught Preston by surprise.  Though he knew of her job as a school counselor, he wasn't aware of any duties related to it that extended past the school day.

"What sort of responsibilities?"

"Since Robin's out of town, I volunteered to go to the football game, keep an eye on things."  Seeing the expression on the watcher's face, Faith felt that a quick save was in order.  "But don't worry; I'll be on the watch for vampires the entire time."

"I seriously doubt any self-respecting vampire would waste their time with a high school football game," scoffed Preston.

"Which means you might stand a decent chance at running into Harmony," Xander got the last word.

*******

            "PD – 1144," Robert leaned on the chain link fence that surrounded the football field and separated it from the dirt walkway and bleachers that completed the modest high school stadium.  As he was not officially on duty, he was surprised to hear the police department dispatch attempting to contact him on his handheld radio.

            "1144," he answered into his lapel microphone, keeping his eyes focused on the field.  The sun was just beginning to set and the large stadium lights were now illuminating the field where the game between Sunnydale High and a Los Angeles high school was now underway with the hometown Razorbacks taking a second quarter fourteen to zero lead.

            "Sir, we have a message for you at the office from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office," the female communications officer reported, sparking Robert's interest as well as hopes that there may be something to his suspicions about Preston.  "Response to a query you sent this morning."

            He had already begun walking to his car when he pressed the microphone button to send his next reply.  "PD, could you forward that message to my vehicle computer, I'll be there momentarily."

            "10 – 4, sir."  When he reached his patrol car, the message from a Los Angeles County detective was waiting on his computer screen.  As he read through the rather lengthy message, Robert froze.  He had thought there was more to Preston than met the eye but he could never have guessed at what he saw on the screen in front of him.

            Elsewhere in the stadium, Preston pulled Faith aside, allowing Xander, Dawn and Kennedy to walk far enough ahead of them so that the two could talk privately.  Opting to roam the stadium rather than sit in the stands, none of them seemed particularly focused on searching for demonic activities, choosing instead to enjoy the game and the rare times they had to enjoy each other as friends.

            "I thought we agreed that civilians would not be participating in your patrol duties," as Faith had said she would keep her eyes open for vampires this evening, Preston did not approve of the presence of her friends with her.

            "Weren't you the one who said no self-respecting vampire would waste their time with a high school football game?"  Faith capitalized on the opportunity to use his own words against him.  "And technically, I'm not on patrol so my friends aren't, participating in my patrol duties," she did her best at imitating Preston's English accent on her last few words.

            "That is nothing but semantics Faith and you know it," Preston suddenly became harsh, not taking Faith's light-hearted comments as anything but mocking his authority.

            "Hey boss, chill," Faith hadn't mean to offend him.  "I'm sorry that I don't want to just totally write my friends out of my life."  She realized that for one of the first times, she hadn't even thought of them as Buffy's friends but as hers.

            "You don't need them Faith," that wasn't what she had expected to hear.  "Throughout the course of history, the chosen one has always fought alone, most often with a watcher as her guide.  You should be no different.  I am all you need Faith."

            "Whatever," Faith shrugged, not wanting to get into that line of discussion with him at the moment.  She glanced at the scoreboard, seeing three minutes left before half-time, became eager to catch up with the gang and started walking ahead of Preston.

            "You can't just keep walking away every time something comes at that you don't want to discuss Faith," Preston scrambled to catch up to the Slayer.  He grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to stop.  The Slayer slowly turned around, facing him with a look on her face that virtually commanded him to release her.  "If you keep them in your life Faith, they will be nothing but a liability to you, the same as they were to Buffy."  Now the Slayer knew something wasn't right.  Giles had often maintained that Buffy's friends were among the reason she stayed alive as long as she did, even Faith knew that.

            "Maybe you're right," but she decided to play along with the game to see how much more she could find out.

            "Do as I say Faith, and we can win this war against evil, together."  Faith continued to listen.

            Dawn, Kennedy and Xander were now a good ways ahead of Faith and Preston, nearing the part of the dirt walkway that circled the end zone where the Razorbacks had the ball on the goal line.  "Who feels like a soda?"  Xander gestured to the nearby concession stand.

            "Diet," Dawn spoke up.  As Xander began to walk off, Dawn gave Kennedy a slight nudge in his direction.  "Take her with you; let her explore the full range of American football junk food possibilities."  Xander good-humoredly offered his arm to the young woman who took it and followed him to the quickly filling line in front of the red and yellow wooden building.

            She watched her friends disappear into the crowd before Dawn leaned against the fence and watched as an extra point kick sailed through the uprights, the ball landing only a few feet in front of her.  The young woman smiled.  This night was the first time in a long while she had been able to just have fun, spending time with Faith and her friends.  It was also the first time since she had left that she wasn't actively missing Buffy.

            "You get in touch with Giles?"  Dawn quickly turned her head to see Robert leaning against the fence to her right.  His comment and the look in his eyes brought back the concern she had been preoccupied with for most of the day but had recently managed to put out of her mind.  Before she could answer, the loud buzzer that marked half-time in the game sounded.  The teams ran off the field, met by applause as the announcer read the half-time score, the Razorbacks holding a commanding twenty-one to nothing lead.

            "No," Dawn turned away from the field and looked entirely towards Robert.  "Some problem with the phone lines, I couldn't get through.  My cell-phone was the same way."  From the way he looked, Dawn already knew the answer to her next question.  "Did you find out anything?"

            "Yeah and –" Hearing an all too familiar voice boom across the stadium's speaker system, caused Robert to stop talking and both him and Dawn to look at the press box.

            "Ladies and gentlemen," Spike's voice, though slightly distorted by the less than high-quality speaker gear, was very recognizable to all who knew him.  "We are sorry to announce a slight delay in your marching band entertainment for the evening but would like you all to direct your attention to the middle of the field where this young woman," Harmony was now nervously strolling out onto the field, across the fifty yard line.  "Has got a real treat for you," Spike's final comment was preceded by a chuckle from the vampire.

            "We've got to find Faith," Dawn broke into a run in the direction of where she had last seen Faith and Preston with Robert quickly following her.  It did not take them long to find her as the Slayer was already heading towards the field where Harmony had turned to face the crowd.

            "If you would all please look right at the center of this thing," Harmony held the medallion up, being met by various disrespectful and rude comments from the crowd, until the blue crystal flashed at which point everyone in the bleachers could not keep their eyes off the trinket.

            "What's the plan?"  Robert asked when he and Dawn met up with the Slayer near a gate that led onto the field.  All he knew was what Dawn had quickly filled him in on, that Harmony was a vampire, Spike had turned evil and was in cahoots with her.  They were soon joined by Kennedy, Xander and Preston who converged from different directions.  None of them had been looking directly at the medallion when Harmony used it to get the attention of the rest of the crowd.

            Faith began handing out orders.  "Robert and I will take Harmony," she shot Preston a glare, indicating to him that she didn't want to hear any arguments.  "The rest of you get up to the press box, try to hit Spike with this," she produced a tranquilizer pistol from under her jacket and handed it to Kennedy.  The gang broke up, Robert and Faith casually strolling onto the field while the rest ascended the stairs towards the press box.

            The presence of Faith and Robert on the field did not go unnoticed by Harmony.  "Oh good, I'm so glad you're here to witness my ultimate plan and it's going to make killing you so much easier!"

            "Take your best shot," Faith challenged.

            "Oh not me," Harmony shuddered at that idea.  "Them," she pointed to the crowd   Harmony held the medallion high and Robert realized what it was and where he had seen something like it before.  "I want you to kill the Slayer," as Harmony spoke, Robert threw one hand over his eyes and another one over Faith's.

            The crystal flashed but the crowd did not move.  Harmony looked at them, then at Faith, who stood still, staring at her and then at the medallion.  "Faith!"  Harmony spoke to the crowd, trying to prompt a murderous response from them.

            "What's going on?"  Faith whispered to Robert.

            "None of them know you," that wasn't much of an explanation.

            "Her!"  Harmony finally pointed to Faith.  The crowd, in one fluid motion, stood up from their seats, moving towards Faith and Robert, collecting whatever they could theoretically use as a weapon, chanting, "Kill her," as they approached.

            "Not good," was all Robert could offer.

            "Nope," Faith agreed.


	5. Act Four

ACT FOUR 

            The halls in this part of the newly renovated office building were dark.  The complex was massive, housing libraries, computers, training facilities, meeting rooms, private offices and one of the most advanced telecommunications systems ever designed.  The staff numbered in the dozens and grew almost everyday.  This was part of the new Watcher's Council headquarters that few had ever seen however.  This was his private office, a sanctuary of sorts where he could go to simply concentrate on his work in private without fear of interruption.

            It was a place where Rupert Giles did not want to be on this day.  The news he was discussing was grave and brought back to many old memories.  It was days like this that made Giles wonder why he had taken this job upon himself.  It wasn't like he owed the council anything.  That wasn't true, he owed the council more than he could ever admit.  Everything he was, he owed to them and it was this debt that drove him to seek to rebuild the council to help fight the modern war against evil.

            "Robson I want you to see personally to the notification and care of his family," Giles took his glasses off, holding them in one hand and rubbing his forehead with the others, trying to sooth the pain that had settled into its usual place in front of his temples.  The last couple days, since he had first received the news that they were still discussing, were marked by Giles receiving very little sleep and even less actual rest.

            Robson, seated across the large, dark wooden desk from Giles nodded.  "What are we to do about this Giles?"  He asked like the leader of the council actually knew the answer.  "The police report that they have no leads, no witnesses, no suspects and this is the third murder in four weeks of a watcher in this manner."

            "I don't know," Giles felt completely helpless with this situation.

            "Giles we are under attack," Robson pointed out the obvious.  "The First waged war against the watcher's council and nearly destroyed us, now something else is picking up where it left off."

            "I realize that Robson but what do you want me to do?  The First is gone, it's minions are scattered.  We don't know who is behind this attack on us," Giles was growing increasingly frustrated with their general lack of information, not that it wasn't something he was used to.

            "We have to fight Giles," Robson suggested what Giles already knew had to be done.  "When the First attacked, we waited to long to try acting against it.  By the time the council made a decision to act, it was too late.  We cannot wait so long as to put ourselves in jeopardy before we act."

            "Damn it Robson don't you think I know that!"  Giles pounded his fist on his desk, a sound echoing off the dark wooden walls of his office.  "But we don't know who to fight and I cannot order a war against an unknown coward who hides in the shadows refusing to show himself!"

            "You're right," Robson couldn't begin to imagine the amount of stress Giles was under and hadn't realized until that moment that he wasn't doing anything to help his old comrade.  "I'm sorry.  I just don't want to see last year happening all over again, too many people died, too many good people."

            "Such things happen during apocalypses," Giles relaxed, slightly leaning back in his chair and placing the end of his glasses in his mouth, slightly chewing on the frame, a bad habit he had settled into during the last few months.  "I often wonder how and more importantly why I've survived as many as I have."

            "Is that what we're looking at here?"  Robson came to a grave realization.  "Another apocalypse?  Another demon seeking to try and finish what the First started?  Wiping out the council and the Slayer line?  It's what I would want to do if I were evil."

            "This doesn't have quite the apocalypse feel to it," Giles thought about all the information they had on the murders.  "Whoever this killer is, they have made no attempt at killing any of the potentials, and one was nearby when the first murder took place.  As far as we know, neither Buffy or Faith have been targeted either.  No these attacks seem to be much more selective, targeted only against the counsel, perhaps to try and disrupt us as we try to rebuild it."

            "But who would do such a thing?"

            "The council is not without it's enemies," Giles shrugged, he really didn't know who was behind the attacks or know where to begin looking for the fiend.  "I wager there's more than a few groups and individuals out there that would like nothing better than to see us permanently wiped from the face of the earth."

            "But who has the resources?"  Robson asked next.  "And the knowledge to carry out the attacks that have been done thus far with such precision.  Whoever this killer is seems to have a knowledge of the workings of the council as well as knowing who our operatives are and where he can find them when they are vulnerable."

            "I don't know and worse yet, we have nothing that could potentially lead us to the identity of the killer," as if it were listening to him, the speakers on Giles' desktop computer chimed, indicating that he had received a new e-mail.  He navigated the cursor icon on the screen to his e-mail program and clicked it open.  The message was addressed to his private e-mail account, one very few people knew of, from an unknown sender.

            As he opened the message, Giles gasped.  He had seen his share of death in his time, more gruesome than the photos attached to the front of the e-mail but it was the way they were done that took Giles by surprise.  The way the bodies of the dead watcher in each photo was arranged, the lighting, the prominence in which the wounds were vividly displayed.  This was somebody's idea of art.  "My god," Giles whispered, prompting Robson to circle around his desk and look at the computer monitor, reacting in much the same was Giles did.

            He scrolled past the pictures and to the actual text of the message.  Giles read it aloud.  "The council no longer sees.  To win the war, I have returned.  Signed, The Inquisitor."

            "My god," the meaning of at least a part of the short message hit Robson.  "I thought he was –" the watcher trailed off.

            "So did I," Giles admitted.  He backed away from the computer screen and again pulled his glasses off of his face.  "But as we should well know, bad things have a habit of not letting death bother them."  Giles regained his composure, picked up his telephone and dialed a four digit extension to another phone in the building.  "Yes, I need an e-mail traced, as soon as possible."

            "Do you think he would be so sloppy as to leave a trace?"  Robson seemed to doubt it.

            "Can you think of a better option?"  Giles looked at his friend's face that gave a resounding negative answer.  "If there's even a chance he left he any sort of a footprint, we have to do what we can to locate him." Giles paused for a moment, considering the implications.  "He knew more about the old council than I did and probably knows a great deal about the new council as well.  If he has turned against us, nobody is safe."

            "What are we going to do?"

            Giles again picked up his phone, dialing another extension within the headquarters building.  "I need you to find Buffy for me, get her on the satellite phone as soon as possible."  He replaced the receiver, his action drawing a skeptical glance from Robson who did not understand what his colleague was planning.

            "The Slayer?"

            Giles confidently nodded.  "If he wants a war then we use our strongest warrior."

*******

            Their backs had been turned while ascending the stairs to the press box, hence they did not witness the mind controlling flash of energy from Harmony's medallion.  Xander, Preston, Kennedy and Dawn all ranked this as a good thing, especially as they watched the legion of Harmony followers poor out of the stands and onto the field, slowly closing on Faith and Robert while chanting, "Kill her," like something straight out of a bad zombie movie.

            "We need to help them," Kennedy wasn't exactly sure what they could do to help but it seemed like the right thing to say at the time when the group paused near the top of the bleachers to watch Harmony's new army moving out.

            Preston snatched the tranquilizer gun away from her.  "You all go and help Faith, I will handle Spike," his sudden display of confidence did not seem to suit him.

            As the other seemed to juggle with the decision of letting Preston go alone and probably get killed, Xander stepped up to the plate.  "I'll go with him.  Two ordinary guys should be able to take one of the most infamous vampires in history don't you think?"  That did not garner confidence from Kennedy or Dawn.  

The potential Slayer reached behind her jacket to the small of her back and tossed a mini-crossbow to Xander.  "I'd use it before he has a chance to do anything," Kennedy suggested as she and Dawn took off running towards Robert and Faith.  Xander and Preston finished ascending the stairs in the middle of the bleachers to the closed press box door.  Preston tried the knob.  It barely jiggled and did not open.

"Locked," he stated the obvious.  The watcher backed up.  "Cover me," acting as if he had done it a million times, Xander readied the crossbow and aimed past Preston's head.  With a swift the move, the watcher kicked the door, shattering the lock and allowing them access.  He quickly readied the tranquilizer pistol and methodically walked inside, making sure to check corners and other potential hiding places with Xander following him, shadowing his movements.

It did not take long to find their target.  Hanging over the microphone, Spike slowly turned to face them, a grin forming on his face from one corner of his mouth to the other.  His eyes shot down to the two men laying unconscious at his feet and then again to Xander and Preston.  "Well, well, well, look who's come to save the day and stop the bad guy."  The vampire took three slow steps towards them, Xander responded by taking aim with the crossbow.

"One more step and you're dust."  By the sound of his voice, Spike knew there was nothing idle to Xander's threat.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"  Spike stood his ground, not moving closer nor falling back.  "Finally have your excuse to dust the vampire that's give you so much trouble.  The one who tried to kill you, tried to kill your friends," Spike's grin grew wider.  "The one who slept with your girl," Xander began to put more pressure on the crossbow trigger, steadying his aim as he did so.  "And the one that neither Slayer ever took care of."

"You're making the deal all the more enjoyable pal," Xander, despite the fact that Spike had also saved his life and helped save the world on more than one occasion, still had no qualms about ridding himself of Spike once and for all.

"Well give it your best shot," without anymore urging from Spike, the bolt flew from the crossbow.  Seeing the attack coming, the vampire was able to easily sidestep it.  The bolt impaled the wooden wall of the press box as Spike laughed.  Preston fired next with his tranquilizer pistol.  Spike moved quickly, wrapping his fingers around the dart before it impacted against his skin.  Preston was shocked as Spike briefly studied the dart.  Before Xander or the watcher could react, Spike tossed the dart into Preston's neck.  Overwhelmed by the potent tranquilizer formula, Preston collapsed on the floor.

"Stupid git," Spike muttered, watching Preston's limp body fall to the floor before he looked at Xander who was hastily trying to reload the crossbow.  Before he was successful, Spike snatched the weapon away and threw it a safe distance across the room.  The vampire closed in on Xander, pushing him against a corner.  "You know, I've always wanted to get rid of you too; thought you were pretty much a worthless pain in the neck, not really good for much."  The vampire continued grinning as his face shifted to it's demonic form.  "Guess I'll just have to be a pain in your neck one last time."

"Spike listen to me," Xander pleaded as the vampire's fangs inched closer to his neck.  "Harmony has something that is controlling people.  You don't want to do this.  She's done something to you."

Spike pulled his head away slightly.  Something jarred inside of him, making the vampire consider what was happening.  "You know you're right," Spike agreed, sparking a temporary feeling of relief in Xander.  "She has done something to me," Spike brought his fist up, striking Xander in the head, knocking him unconscious.

"Made me feel like I haven't felt in a longtime."  Spike left the press box.

On the field, Kennedy and Dawn pushed their way through the slowly advancing crowd and regrouped with Faith and Robert.  Without saying anything, they ran behind the bleachers, taking temporary cover and buying a much needed few extra seconds for the crowd to reach them.

"What the hell is going on?"  Faith leaned against one of the metal support beams and looked for an explanation from anyone who could potentially provide her with one.

"It's a Noc'Mar medallion," Robert offered a quick answer.  "The energy it emits makes whoever looks directly at the stone very susceptible to suggestion from the wielder."

"So all she has to do is tell them what she wants and they do it?"  Kennedy did not like the way Robert was making it sound, especially since it meant they were outnumbered several hundred to one.

"Yeah, yeah, we got that," Faith took charge.  "How do we stop it?  Short of killing everybody?"

"Take out the medallion," Robert was actually not sure but it seemed as good of a solution as any.  "Or it might work if we take her out also.  I can't be sure though, I've only seen one of those used once before and didn't stick around long enough to see how they turned off the effects."

"Then let's be on the safe side," Faith reached into her coat, drawing a stake for each hand.  "Take out both her and the medallion."  She heard the chanting of Harmony's followers drawing closer to them and knew she had to come up with a plan quickly.  "Dawn, you and Kennedy try to draw them away, just by Robert and I a few minutes, we'll take care of Harmony."

Dawn glanced over her shoulder as the chanting sounds of the mob drew closer.  "And how are we supposed to do that exactly?  I mean, it's not like we can just pretend to be you and –" Kennedy grabbed Dawn by the hand, effectively cutting off her rambling as she led her out of the bleacher's cover.

"We'll think of something," the potential Slayer eagerly accepted their assignment and ran towards the crowd with Dawn in tow.  When they could see the mob only a few feet behind them, Dawn asked if she had a plan to which Kennedy replied, "Something like that."  Without warning, she began jumping up and down, pointing in the opposite direction from where Faith and Robert remained hidden.  "Over there!  She's over there!"  The crowd's direction and purpose did not fluctuate.

An idea hit Dawn.  She did not bother to use the few seconds they had filling Kennedy in on it, hoping instead that her friend would catch on.  "Kill her, kill her," Dawn began chanting, walking in the opposite direction from where the Slayer was hiding.  Kennedy picked up on the plan and began doing the same.  Soon after, the chanting crowd changed directions and began following the two girls.  As they led the group, Dawn turned and looked at Kennedy.  "If you can't beat them, join them."

At the center of the field, the sounds of the crowd fading into the distance, Spike joined Harmony who was bouncing giddily with excitement.  "Look at them Spikey!  All of them, obeying me, loving me, doing as I command and killing the Slayer for me!  I'm a god to them Spikey!"

"Oh yeah babe," he completed a half-circle around Harmony, wrapping his arms around her waste, pulling her close to him as he planted kisses on her neck.  "You're the bloody second coming.  Thanks to your little toy that is."

"Excuse me," Harmony did not act well to what she believed to be an almost rebellious comment.  "How come you're all moody?  What's your problem?"

"Well," the unmistakable sound of the Slayer's voice came from behind the two vampires.  Faith and Robert had circled around from the bleachers and come up behind Harmony and Spike while the two were distracted watching her followers fall for their diversion.  "For starters," Faith casually approached them, a stake in both hands and Robert at her side.  "Both of you are fixing to have a very severe case of stake in a very uncomfortable place."

Spike pulled away from Harmony and nudged her behind him, stepping up to protect her.  "Walk away Slayer, no need for this to come down to bloodshed."

"What!"  Harmony was quick to protest.  "There's every need for this to come to bloodshed!  The Slayer has to die!"  She started to think Spike wasn't understanding the Slayer dying part of her Slayer dying plan.

"What are you that afraid Spike?"  Faith ignored Harmony's babble and decided to focus on trying to win the mind game with her former ally.  "Are you so scared of trying to take me on that you're willing to just let me walk away rather than risk you neck?"  The Slayer shook her head and smirked.  "Doesn't sound a whole lot like the infamous Spike I've heard so much about."

"I'm not kidding," Spike did not back down as Faith and Robert continued to approach him.  "This is your last chance to walk away before I decide to get mean."

"Now that's sounds a little bit more William the Bloody to me," Faith's words as well as her expression and the fire burning in her eyes as she gazed into Spike's did nothing but mock the vampire.  "Think you still got any of him left in you or is that pesky little soul keeping you from being all the vampire she wants you to be?"

"You think I won't hesitate to kill another Slayer?"  Though he did not back down, neither did Spike advance on or attempt to attack Faith or Robert.  He simply stood his ground, not feeling the desire to attack but also knowing he could not let them stop Harmony.

"You're hesitating right now Spike," Faith had waited for the vampire to make that slip up.  "I mean, I never came up against you before but something tells me that in your glory days, if a Slayer had been standing this close to you, you would have done a little bit more than try to scare her away by showing your teeth.  Of course," Faith considered her own remark.  "You haven't even done that yet."

On demand, Spike's face shifted, the vampire's angered expression displaying a full view of his fangs.  "You're about to get a much closer view of them," Spike finally took a step forward, challenging Faith which was met by a similar response from the Slayer.

"Hey looks like you're finally starting to grow a pair," Faith took another step closer to Spike, their bodies almost touching in the process.  Robert hung back.  "Care to put them to the test?"

"I'm going to enjoy this Slayer," Spike pulled his fist back, moving it forward for a strike.  Faith was ready, having anticipated and planned for this action.  She sidestepped the punch, grabbed his arm and tossed him towards Robert, the vampire almost crashing into her comrade.  Taking advantage of the second Spike needed to recover, Robert moved in, striking the vampire twice in the face.

Faith glanced over her shoulder.  Confident that Robert would be able to keep Spike busy for the time she needed, the Slayer advanced on Harmony who was nervously stepping back away from her.  The Slayer wasted no time in going to work.  She leapt into a spinning kick, striking Harmony in the face.  When she was back on her feet, Faith continued her attack, striking the blonde vampire with a right cross.  This was followed by a left hook which Harmony managed to block with her left arm.

This did not stop the Slayer.  She twisted Harmony's left arm, holding it in place before delivering a series of blows with her right fist to Harmony's face.  She ended her attack by kicking her in the stomach, sending the vampire several feet backwards.  Harmony recovered, dusting the grass off of her outfit as Faith again advanced on her, stake in hand.

"Do you have any idea how hard grass stains are to get out?"  One of the first things Harmony noticed were green streaks on her clothes from where she had slid across the field.  As the Slayer closed, Harmony launched a counterattack.  She ran towards Faith, swinging with both fists clenched but all of her blows were easily blocked by the Slayer who knocked the vampire's fists away with her own.  Faith dropped down, sweeping Harmony's legs out from under her.

Harmony knew her time was short.  Faith lunged the stake towards her chest but Harmony rolled out of the way just in time, Faith impaling the ground with her weapon.  Back on her feet, the vampire knew she had to act.  She reached into her jacket pocket and removed the medallion, waiting for Faith.  The Slayer spun around, looking directly at Harmony and hence the medallion.

"You will st –" Before Harmony could finish her sentence and the power of the medallion take effect, Faith kicked it out of her hand, sending it high into the air.  A few feet away from that battle, Robert gained the upper hand in his fight against Spike, striking the vampire with his elbow.  This bought him the few seconds he needed to draw his sidearm, take aim and fire a single shot.  The bullet shattered the stone in the middle of the medallion as it fell to the ground.  Spike's eyes flashed and the vampire looked around, confused as to what was going on.  Robert did not take time to try and help him, instead rushing towards Faith as the distant chanting of the crowd stopped entirely.

"You broke it!"  Harmony was infuriated.  She charged towards Faith, hitting the Slayer in the nose with an openhanded strike.  Faith spun the stake around, aiming for Harmony's chest.  Harmony stopped the attack, blocking Faith's arm with one move and knocking the stake from it with the other.  "They were going to kill you!"  The vampire continued her attack, striking Faith multiple times in the face.  She then jumped into a scissor-kick, striking the Slayer once in the stomach and once under the chin.

"They did what I said," she hit Faith again in the face with a right cross, breaking past the blocks the Slayer tried to use.  "They loved me!"  She hit Faith again with her left fist, the attempted blocks still proving ineffective.  Harmony shrugged off and easily blocked three blows from the Slayer, then continued her own attack.  "They worshipped me!"  She struck Faith again with a series of punches from left and right.  She then struck one of Faith's knees with her foot, causing her stance to buckle.  "Now," Harmony's anger subsided.  "I guess I'll just have to kill you myself," she brought her fist back, aiming for Faith's temple.

When Harmony tried to swing, she felt something grasp her arm, preventing her from doing so.  She looked over her shoulder to see Spike holding her arm with a rather angry expression about him.  "Harm, you and I are going to have a talk about the right ways to make friends before we let you play with the other children again."

Faith took advantage of Harmony being distracted by Spike.  The Slayer grabbed another stake from her back pocket, knocked Harmony's free arm away from a blocking position and rammed the weapon into the vampire.  With a stunned expression on her face, Harmony looked down at the wooden instrument of death stuck inside of her before looking back at Faith, her eyes wide.  "You staked me!"  She quickly looked back at the stake and again at Faith.  "Buffy never staked me!"

Getting the message, Spike let go of her arm as Faith pulled the stake out of Harmony's stomach.  "You're pathetic," Faith put the stake back in her pocket as a stunned Harmony looked on.  "Even for a vampire, you're pathetic.  I think it'd be worse for you to live, knowing you'll never be the popular girl you once were.  So, walk way."

Faith turned her back; Spike, Robert and her began to walk away as Harmony continued standing in the middle of the field.  "Wait!"  Harmony insisted.  "I'm evil!  I'm bad!"  She ran to catch up the group until Faith turned around, tapping the stake against her hand at which point, Harmony turned and run the other way.

"She won't come back," Spike reassured them.  "She'll lay low for a while."  Seeing the expression on Faith's face, Spike knew she wasn't pleased with him.  "Which I think I'm going to do also."

"Good idea," was Faith's only response as the vampire turned away from them and walked off into the darkness.  "We need to find everyone else," she started to walk off but Robert grabbed her arm, holding her in place before she could do so.  "Excuse you," Faith took offense to the rather bold move by Robert.

"Faith there's something you need to know."

*******

            Preston awoke to the sharp feeling of being slammed against the sheet metal wall of the press box.  He felt a tight grip around his neck, allowing him barely enough air to breath.  When his eyes fluttered open, he looked down to see Faith holding him up against the wall and Robert standing just behind her left shoulder.  He did not panic, simply tried to devise the best way to end this situation.  "Faith, what is the meaning of this?"

            The Slayer tightened her grip slightly.  "You know what Preston, there's a few things I hate and being lied to is right up there at the top of the list," Preston started to say something in response but Faith cut him off by again tightening her fingers around his throat.  "It's my turn to answer the questions here and if I don't life the answer."  Preston got the point.  "Let's start with who the hell are you and what are you doing here?"

            "Faith, I don't know what you mean," he tried to salvage a situation he saw to be quickly falling apart around him.  "I am Preston Mathers, assigned by the Watcher's Council to," she again cut him off by tightening her grip around his neck.

            "Wrong answer!"

            "Funny thing," Robert stepped up.  "According to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office, Preston Mathers was killed, three days ago, shortly after he left the airport where he came in on a flight from England."  Robert looked him over.  "You're looking pretty lively to me," he considered Faith's increasingly tight grip on the imposter's neck.  "For now at least."

            Faith looked at his eyes which revealed a great deal themselves.  "Do I need to ask the question again?"  The Slayer wanted answers and wanted them now.  She had too many bad experiences in her past with people trying to play off her trust only to use that trust against her.

            "Who are you working for?"  Robert tossed his own curiosity into the mix.

            He glanced at Robert and then looked into Faith's eyes.  "Something far greater than you," she again tightened her grip, cutting off his air supply.  The imposter squirmed as Faith continued to insist for an answer until Robert finally stepped up and made her stop.

            "He's not going to talk Faith," as she released him, Robert pulled his arms behind his back and put handcuffs on him, radioing in to the police department that he had a subject in custody.  "I'm going to take him in for processing, I imagine the investigators in L.A. will want to have a word with him."  He saw the look in her eyes and knew something was wrong.  "You want to talk afterwards."

            Faith took a deep breath.  She did want to, she needed to.  "Just, leave me alone," the Slayer walked away.


	6. Envoi

**ENVOI**

            "All right," the lead singer of the band playing at the Bronze grasped the microphone in his hand as lights swirled around him.  The after football game crowd had been slowly filtering in but was not as large as it usually was, given the strange events that happened earlier in the evening.  "This is one we've been working on for a while, I hope you all like it."    The song was kicked off by a drum break followed by a strong but slow and melodic guitar and bass intro before the singer began, his voice soft and matching the slow pace of the music.  "Through the dark and empty streets, where it's cold and no one meets.  I walk away from you."

            Faith sat alone at the bar, nursing the first drink she had ordered an hour before, reflecting on the events of the evening and the past couple days.  Though she hadn't particularly liked Preston, something about him had started to grow on her and now she had been betrayed again.

            The song continued.  "Despite the loneliness in my heart, a place you've been from the start.  I walk away from you."  Robert walked in, having finished processing his prisoner at the city jail and changed clothes at his apartment.  He didn't know why he had come, couldn't come up with any good reason for his being here.  He ignored the glances of a few of the young woman and sat down at a table, instantly picking Faith out at the bar and gazing at the back of her head.

            Guitar, bass and drums signaled an increasing pace for the song, as a heavy instrumental pickup led into the first chorus.  "And you'll never know the pain, 'cause you'll never see me there.  And you'll never be with me, so stop pretending that you care."  Heavy cymbal crashes and guitar accented the last few words before the instruments again slowed, leading into the next verse.

            As she listened to the music, Faith felt something.  She glanced over her shoulder.  She didn't see anything, the crowd was too thick but despite that, she had a feeling.  "Late at night one day," the singer continued in this slow, emotional section.  "I saw you, in that special way.  And I'll never understand, how you never saw me too.  Since I was always there, behind you in that dark and lonely place." 

The music again picked up, leading into the next chorus where the lead singer was joined by the guitar player, echoing his words.  "'Cause you'll never know the pain, and you'll never see me there.  'Cause the truth will always scar, the very people that we are."  The music led into a riff.

*******

            Spike sat alone in his crypt, chugging a bottle of whiskey.  He was angry with himself, for being controlled so easily, for what he almost did and for what he almost allowed himself to become.  He didn't care what Faith thought of him but he did not want to be her enemy either.  He wanted to be left alone, to be forgotten.

            When there was a knocking on his door, he reacted without a second thought.  Grabbing the stake from the table near his chair, he strolled towards the door, bottle in one hand and stake in the other.  He flung the door open, stabbing the vampire threw the heart before he could say anything, dust falling to the ground as he took a drink and flung the door shut, hoping to close himself off from the world in the process.

*******

            "So lie to me at least," the riff was sung slowly and emotionally, accompanied by a heavy guitar, bass and soft cymbal taps.  "Pretend that we could be.  Or I'll walk away for good, and you'll never know."  A slight pause as the singer looked out into the crowd.  "How great it could have been," the familiar instrumental break led into the final chorus.  "And you'll never know the pain, 'cause you'll never see me there.  And you'll never be with me," each phrase became louder and heavier.  "So stop pretending that you care, 'cause you'll never know the pain.  And you'll never see me there.  'Cause the truth will always scar, the very people that we are."

            A slow guitar and bass marked the beginning of the end of the piece.  "Through the dark and empty streets," as he listened, Robert shook his head and stood up, realizing he had no reason to be here.  "Despite the loneliness in my heart," he looked a final time at Faith who did not look back at him.  "I walk away from you.  I walk away from you," the music and voice of the singer became more melodic with each repetition.  "I walk away from you, away from you."

*******

            The wooden door, bearing the number '13' in brass letters in the center, splintered and flew off its hinges, crashing against the dull-gray paint of the second story, run down apartment in one of London's lower-class areas.  Six men clad in black tactical uniforms, helmets and vests, brandishing MP5 sub machineguns with active laser sight devices.  They quickly and methodically swept the single room apartment, all the while keeping their weapons ready to fire at a second's notice.

            "Clear!"  The leader of the entrance team announced, followed by the other five members responding in a similar fashion.  The team lowered their weapons and removed their helmets, allowing themselves to relax slightly.

            Giles and Robson were through the door next.  The trace of Giles' e-mail had led them to this address and he was all too eager to lead the investigation personally, with some backup from a special division of the London Police.  The room was scant in its décor; a single couch, coffee table, bed, dress, desk and chair, all plain, nothing distinguishing about them.  The only thing that caught Giles' eye was an open laptop computer sitting on the desk.

            The leader of the Watcher's Council quickly made his way to the device, Robson following slightly behind him.  The police entry team began checking the dress as well as under the bed and for any hidden hiding places.  Giles noticed that the computer was powered up but the screen was blank, meaning it was in power save mode.  Giles tapped the touchpad and the monitor flickered to life.

            Instead of information as he had hoped however, Giles saw something radically different.  The entire screen was filled by a simple white number, eight.  This soon changed to seven.  Five.  Four.  Three.

**EXECUTIVE PRODUCER**

**Gary Boshears**

**NEXT TIME ON SLAYER**

**[images: quick montage of the main cast against dark backgrounds: Faith, Spike, Robert, Kennedy and Dawn]******

**Narration: Dark forces are coming ...******

**[images: Robert and Faith standing under a tree at night, he looks into her eyes and she looks back into his]**

**Robert: Something is headed for this town Faith.******

**[image switches to Spike standing face to face with an unfamiliar blonde wearing a tight red leather outfit]**

**Spike: They're not for you.******

**Woman: This town, this world, everything will be ours and you can be a part of that Spike.******

**[Spike seems to consider this]**

**[images: Faith, Robert and Kennedy all holding weapons surrounded by a group of vampires in a cave lit by torches]**

**Faith: All right, let's get it on.******

**Narration: On an all new Slayer you can't afford to miss.******


End file.
